Righteous
by anita11
Summary: He noticed her chocolate brown eyes before he noticed anything else. When the nurse said Dr. Cullen would be tending to his wound, he was sure it was Dr. Edward Cullen, not his too young to be a doctor but intensely beautiful daughter Renesmee Cullen... A/H, Rated M for adult subjects.
1. Chapter 1

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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He noticed her chocolate brown eyes before he noticed anything else. There he was, Jacob Black, tall rough mechanic staring at her like a deer in the headlights. He hadn't expected to see her there. When the nurse said Dr. Cullen would be tending to his wound, he was sure it was Dr. Edward Cullen, not his too young to be a doctor and intensely beautiful daughter Renesmee Cullen.

"Jake…" She said in a startled but sexy whisper. She was equally surprised to see him but she recovered from the shock before he did.

"I'm sorry. I saw _Jacob Ephraim_ Black on the chart. I didn't quite make the connection."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't expect to see you here. You're a doctor, already?" She laughed nervously. 'She has a beautiful laugh.' He thought.

"Yeah. I was a few years ahead remember? Graduated at 16, started med school by 19?" He already knew this but he still raised his eyebrows at her, impressed.

"You always were a smarty pants."

"The smartiest." She blushed at her horrible attempt of a joke. He laughed out loud, thinking she looked sexy when she blushed. 'He has a sexy laugh,' she noted. Renesmee wasn't expecting to see the man she had a crush on since she was a kid. Suddenly, she felt like she was 13 all over again. He had changed a lot since high school. He was much taller and bigger which was astonishing to her since she remembered him being a giant back then. His muscles were large and bulky like a football player. 'He's too good to be true,' she thought. He smiled at her when he noticed her admiring him and her heart fluttered as if she were in high school all over again. She tried hard to focus and be professional. She couldn't let her childhood crush cause her to make mistakes on the job. The nurse walked in with some supplies, interrupting the moment they were sharing.

"Ok, ok. Let's see what kind of damage you've done." She inspected his arm and the nurse left them. It was a fairly large gash. He would need stitches.

"You didn't tear any ligaments but you'll definitely need stitches. How did you do this?" She asked and got to work on his stitches.

"Occupational hazard. I own my own shop now. Did this one repairing a carburetor." Nessie smiled and nodded. She had heard from her father that Jacob took over the town's mechanic shop.

"I heard about your shop. Your dad must be very proud of you."

"It's nothing compared to you, _Dr._ Cullen." He winked at her and she blushed. Her heart sped up again.

"My dad is definitely very proud. I am the third generation of Dr. Cullens."

"It's a good family trade."

"Well, we all certainly think so." She smiled at him proudly. They stared at each other again. Jake instantly recognized that something was passing between them.

"So _Doc_… How long have you been in town? I haven't really seen you around."

"Only for few weeks. I just started at the hospital two weeks ago."

"Are you back for good or is this temporary?" He asked her, hoping her return was permanent. She shrugged.

"Not sure yet. I'm kinda in transition. I'm giving myself some time to weigh my options." His heart sank a bit.

"Well I'm glad you're back. Maybe I'll get to see more of you now that you're in town." Ness's smile grew wider. She liked that idea. She liked it a lot.

"Sure. Just no more accidents, please. No need to get banged up just to see me." She gave him a coy smile and he laughed. "Ok. I'm done." She told him as she covered his newly stitched wound.

"Wow. That was quick. I barely felt anything." Her smiled grew wider.

"Good. It means I did my job right." She felt a strong current of excitement run through her body as if something was passing between them. She wondered if he felt it too.

"So I guess that's it." He said sadly. For some reason, the thought of parting from her was more painful to him than his wound.

"Almost. I'm going to right you a prescription in case you feel some discomfort later. I want you to go easy on that arm for the next couple of weeks. I wouldn't want you to ruin my nice stitch work." He smiled at her thinking she was sexy.

"Sure, sure. No problem doc." She wrote his prescription down on her prescription pad and handed it to him.

"Here you. I want to see you again in two weeks to check on the stitches. You can come to dad and grandpa's office for that."

"Great!" He said a little more excited. Leaving seemed more plausible now that he knew he would see her again, even if two weeks seemed like an eternity away.

Jake always knew she would be a beauty when she grew up but Jacob had no idea how so. She was breathtaking and sadly enough he knew that he didn't really stand a chance. All he could hope for was to see her again and perhaps rekindle the friendship he had wanted to offer her before she left his life.

**High school...**

Renesmee was very nervous about what she was about to do. She had never done anything like this but she didn't want to disappoint her new friends. She had just started at her new high school and within a month she became the youngest swimmer in the swim team. Her friends were all older than her, after all, she was only 13. Her height made her look her age but she was very good at disguising it thanks to her aunt Alice's styling advice. She looked at herself in the mirror one last time and then escaped out her window as her new friend, Jessica, had instructed. They were all waiting for her down the street at Jessica's car to take her to her first high school party at LaPush beach. She was excited because Jake Black, the high school quarterback, was hosting the party.

The reservation high school closed a year ago and so the schools had to merge. The tribe kids usually didn't invite the town folk to their parties but Jake was determined to set an example for the younger kids. His goal was to get everyone to get along before he graduated. The party was at the beach and it had been Jake's idea to invite all the jocks. He had already united everyone in the football team into one pack of brothers last year and he was determined to do the same for the rest of the jocks. He figured if the jocks set the example the rest of the school would follow.

His father allowed them to have the bonfire at LaPush with only two requests. No drinking, no drugs. Jake agreed to it. There would be many underclassmen at the party and he didn't want any trouble with the parents in town or the tribe. It definitely wasn't one of their usual parties but he figured he could always throw a real party for the upperclassmen after they won the season.

It was Jake's last season as the star quarterback of his high school. He already knew what the future had for him after that. There would be no college for him. He would stay home to take care of his crippled father and work as the mechanic at the local garage. It was sad because he already had offers from several schools but, family came first. His one consolation was that he would already be doing what he always wanted to do. He loved fixing cars and he would spend the rest of his life doing just that.

Everyone at the party was having a good time. Jake made sure to have plenty of food, he got his best friend Embry to DJ, and he had a few intervarsity games going on to distract everyone from the fact there was no alcohol. He really shouldn't had bothered trying to keep the party alcohol free because Mike Newton, the captain of the basketball team, and his buddies were planning a little party of their own regardless of Jake's requests. Mike had it out for Jake since the schools merged. Mike used to be the quarterback but when the schools merged due to the budget cuts, Jake took his spot on the team.

Jake and his buddies heard the riot before they saw what was happening. Jake, Embry, Quill and Ben headed over to the bonfire where the basketball team dancing and laughing loudly. He saw the keg and Jake's blood was boiling.

"Newton! I told you I was keeping it boos-free tonight. Everyone in town knows that this is my party and I am not getting in trouble because of you!"

"Yeah man!" Ben told his ex-quarterback. "We could all get kicked off the team!"

"Relax man. What? Now that Jake's in charge you all started wearing panties." Mike's friends laughed and Jake steamed.

"Get rid of it or get the fuck out!" Jake yelled at him getting almost everyone's attention. There was something about Jake's voice that commanded attention. Mike, drunk as ever, didn't feel the effect of Jake's command so got right at Jake's face.

"What the hell is your fucking problem?! You think you own the school now? This is still my school!" He shoved Jake back and then he spat towards Jake. Jake had barely moved when Mike tried to shove him but when Mike spat on him, he had enough. Jake punched Mike in the face, breaking his nose.

"Son of a bitch!" Mike cussed as he fell back in pain.

Angered by the hit, Mike got up and threw himself at Jake. They both fell on the sand but Jake was easily in control. However, Jake knew that coach would not be happy if he crippled the star basketball player like he wanted to. Instead of defending himself, Jake tried to overpower Mike. At precisely that moment the police decided to show up. They drove their car right into the beach, their beam lights illuminated the entire area. Almost everyone froze. Only the kids that were at a distance, and away from the bright lights, scattered into the forest to head back to their cars.

Renesmee was among the lucky few that were away from the spotlight but she couldn't move a muscle. Her friends had all left and she was sure her ride was gone; however, this was not what kept her from moving. It was the shock of what was happening to Jake that left her stunned. The cop grabbed Jake off Mike aggressively. Too aggressive. She had seen the entire event and she knew it was not Jake's fault. The cop shoved Jake back in such a way that made her afraid for Jake. Ness has a little crush on him ever since she saw him in the pep rally at the beginning of the school year. He hadn't noticed her yet, of course, but she definitely had noticed him.

"Who's in charge here?"

"I am sir. I was just telling them how they need to take this alcohol somewhere else."

"Yeah. I'm sure you did." He told Jake in a patronizing tone that made Renesmee angry. The cop turned to Mike and smiled at him with familiarity.

"Alright Mike, is this your beer?" He asked in a completely different tone from the one he used on Jake.

"No sir." Mike told them cockily. "I was the one telling Jake how he really shouldn't give minors alcohol, right guys?" Mike's friends nodded. Paul, one of Jake's friends, exploded then. "That's bullshit!" And all of Jake's friends started talking at once trying to tell the cops what happened.

"I'm not going to listen to our little tribal gang lie to me. You are both coming with me and we are sorting things out down at the station." The cops took both Jake and Mike in the patrol car and then they told everyone to go home. Renesmee was horrified. She ran over to the area where the cars were parked and eventually found one of her friends, Angela. Angela and Ben were dating so Angela had stayed behind to make sure Ben was ok. She gave Renesmee a ride to the police station and dropped her off. Renesmee was in luck. She looked around the parking lot and saw her grandfather's car. Her grandfather was working a late shift that night. She opened the door to the police station and went inside.

"Nessie! Is that you honey?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Layton. It's me." She answered shyly. "Is my grandfather here?"

"The chief is with the new deputy. He just brought in two kids."

"That's what I wanted to talk to grandpa about. It's very important that I see him. Please."

"Ok Honey. Come with me." She said and Renesmee followed her to the chief's office. The two boys were sitting on a bench on the corner of the office. Chief Swan looked at his granddaughter in shock as she came in.

"Nessie? What are you doing here this late? Are you ok?" He asked urgently.

"I'm fine grandpa. I just thought you might need a witness for what happened at the party." The Chief's eyes widened in shock.

"You were at that party. With high school kids?! Do your parents know where you are?"

"No sir. I um… I snuck out. I know I'm in a lot of trouble but..."

"You certainly are. Come on." He said angrily and escorted his granddaughter to a different office after telling the secretary to call her parents. He closed the doors and when he turned to his granddaughter his anger instantly melted away. One look into those remorseful, brown, tearful eyes was all it took.

"Ok sweetheart. There's no need to cry." He said in a softer tone and guided her to small sofa on the corner of his office.

"I'm very disappointed with you but I would like to know what the hell was happening down there. Is that ok?" Renesmee nodded and explained everything to her grandfather. She explained how Jake had told the other boys that they needed to stop drinking or they had to go. She told him how Mike pushed and spit on him. How Jake had to defend himself. She even told him what she thought about his deputy's demeanor towards Jake.

Chief Swan took notes and then he told his granddaughter to wait in the lobby for her parents. Renesmee sat quietly on one of the chairs and she let the tears roll down her cheeks. Her parents would be so disappointed in her.

The chief walked back into the interrogation room. His granddaughter had confirmed everything Jacob had said. She even confirmed Jake's accusations that his deputies were showing favoritism and possibly some prejudice towards Jake. The chief was furious. He knew Jake and his family only through rumors. Jake was a good kid and his deputies should not have treated him that way. Mike, on the other hand, he knew all too well. Vandalism, underage drinking, and speeding were already on Mike's record.

"Ok Jake. You can go wait in the lobby for your ride. Mike and I are going to talk some more." He said sternly while looking at Mike and his deputies. Jake was shocked but relieved. He knew chief Swan was a no nonsense man but he was also a fair man. Jake went to the lobby and sat on a chair by the girl who announced herself as a witness. He saw her wipe her cheeks and straighten up as he came in. She was cute but she looked a bit young to be in high school. She glanced at him once as he was sitting and then she looked down at the floor.

"Why are you crying?" Jake asked her.

"I'm in so much trouble. My parents are going to be so disappointed in me. I've never done anything like this before." Jake nodded and sat a few chairs away from her. He looked at her sad face and he felt sorry for her. He wondered why she came to the police station if it would only get her into trouble.

"Why did you come here? You could have just gone home after the cops came."

"I thought you might need help. You didn't do anything wrong. It's not fair that they arrested you like that." Her voice was quiet but he could hear a flair of anger in her voice when she said that last part. He was amused.

"So you put yourself in trouble for me? Why?"

"Because it was right thing to do." She said incredulously. She looked up again for a moment but then she quickly looked away when she saw he was staring at her. He definitely was staring at her. He looked at her for a long moment. Even though she was very shy and had been looking mostly at her hands or the floor when she talked to him, he was stuck by the strength of her words. As if altruism were the most obvious choice for a kid to make.

"Who are you?" He finally asked her.

"I'm Renesmee Cullen. Ness actually. I just made the swim team." She told him, still staring at the floor in front of her.

"Oh yeah. I heard about you. You skipped a couple of grades and now you're the youngest swimmer on the team." 'And the only child of the richest man in town,' Jake thought. Ness nodded and looked down at her hands shyly. Jake could see a bit of pink on her cheeks and he smiled to himself. Jake was impressed with her. He couldn't believe that a rich girl her age could be so righteous and altruistic. She didn't know him. She had absolutely no reason to come to a police station to be his witness. None of his friends were here yet this girl put herself in trouble in order to defend him. She was like his own personal angel, his protector. Her sweetness touched him.

"Thank you. What you did was very cool. I won't forget it." Renesmee looked up and smiled at him. They were finally able to take a good look into each other's eyes. He was stuck by the innocence and kindness he saw in them. He had never met anyone with such soulful eyes. He though she was endearing and, for a moment, he actually wanted to move over to the seat next to her so that he could be closer to her. Of course, her father came in at that moment.

Edward Cullen was the talk of the town when he was younger. He was very handsome. He married young and went off to college with his wife, who the well-known daughter of the chief of police, Bella Swan. Bella was two years older and already in college. In a small town like Forks, their love affair was a bit of a scandal. Everyone was sure Edward married her because he had gotten her pregnant and they were right. Edward and Bella then returned eight years later with a medical degree and a beautiful copper headed daughter. Edward loved his little girl and was known to be an amazing father and husband.

Edward was a proud man but he was kind, like his parents. He returned home to help the people in his home town and, eventually, became an equal partner in his father's practice. The town was happy to have him and Edward was happy to be home because he knew his father and his community needed him. He walked in through the door and quickly saw his daughter waiting for him in the lobby.

"Nessie?" He went to her and hugged her immediately.

"Your mom and I nearly had a heart attack! How could you do this Renesmee?" He asked her sternly. The tears flowed down her eyes again as she dropped her gaze in shame. Jake felt sorry for her and he instantly felt protective. He got up from his chair and walked over to her dad. They were almost the same high but Jake was easily twice his size. Nevertheless, Jake was visibly nervous.

"Excuse me sir. My name is Jake Black." He said as he reached out his hand. Edward looked at him strangely but he shook his hand.

"Black? You're Billy's boy?" Edward asked him when he recognized the name.

"Yes sir. I am."

"You look like him. What can I do for you, son?"

"I know this is none of my business but since Ness stuck out her neck for me I thought you might let me explain on her behalf." Edward thought that his explanation was odd but he decided to let him explain.

"Ok. Go on."

"It was a beach party for everyone in the sports department. With the two schools merging, I thought it would help everybody bond. I invited everyone, even the underclassmen. That's why I told everyone no drinking. I didn't want to give the kids a bad example and coach would've killed me… Um but anyways. Mike and his buddies were not supposed to bring beer. This wasn't some wild high school party or anything. We are all just having a bonfire, games, dancing. That's it. I'm not the type of guy who would let minors drink."

"You are a minor too, son." Edward reminded him with an amused smirk when he saw Jake blush. Jake easily looked 21 but Edward knew he could not be older than 18.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry. I just wanted to explain that even though Ness wasn't supposed to be at the party, that it was a very PG party. I know you are piss… err, I mean, angry but Ness could have just gone straight home after the cops showed up. She came here to let her grandfather know what actually happened because she wanted to do the right thing. She was the only one brave enough to give a statement. That seems pretty amazing for kid her age, um I think. Sir." His bravery started wavering as he saw the doctors eyes narrow. Edward looked at his daughter, then he looked at Jake, and then at his daughter again.

"Is this true? You came here voluntarily when you could have snuck back home?" It was bad enough that she snuck out but Jake was right. She could have snuck back in just as easily and she would have never been caught. Edward realized sadly.

"Yes." She told him quietly. Edward nodded. He brought his daughter to him again and hugged her. The realization that his daughter had taken that brave choice of doing the right thing made him very proud of her.

"Ok sweetheart. Let's go home. Your mom is up waiting for us." Edward turned to the young man that had stood up for his daughter and extended his hand. "Jacob, thank you. You're a very honorable young man." Edward told him and they shook hands once more before he left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Renesmee was grounded for a month. No going out to movies, no talking to her friends on the phone, no internet unless it was for school work. She was sad but she accepted her punishment gracefully because her parents had been discussing taking off the swim team. The following Monday, the entire school knew what she did. Some kids thought it was brave; however, most kids berated her for being a snitch. Renesmee had never been bullied before so she was unprepared when kids shoved her in the hallways and when her friends refused to talk to her at lunch. Renesmee was a strong girl but she was still a child. She felt a sharp hurt when all her new friend's had shunned her from the lunch table. She quietly grabbed her lunch and decided to eat her food at the library while she read. She by the end of her lunch period she decided she was ok with being alone and at least no one could bother her at the library. Or so she thought.

On her second day of isolation, she got her lunch out of her locker and walked to the library with her food tucked away in her backpack. She was in the back corridor close to the library when Renesmee felt a hand grab her by the scruff of her neck and slam her against some lockers. Her backpack made her bounce forward and she fell on her knees before her attacker. Her backpack slipped off onto the floor next to her making her exposed and vulnerable, for some reason. When she looked up, she saw her attacker was a furious Mike Newton.

"You little bitch! Do you have any idea what you've done? Coach kicked me off the team! This is my senior year. That means no scouts, no scholarships. You ruined my life!" He ranted as he picked her up by her hair and slammed her against the lockers again. His face was enraged and his eyes frightened her. He had grabbed her hair tightly but it didn't hurt because her hair was long. They were alone in a back corridor, adjacent to the back of the library. The librarian's desk was at the other end and she knew she wouldn't be heard.

"Let go of me. I only told the truth. I didn't know coach would do that!" For some reason she started out more angry than afraid. She struggled against him but she wasn't strong enough.

"Of course not you little bitch! You didn't think did you? Probably too worried Jake wouldn't let you suck his dick if you didn't defend him." He grabbed her hair tighter and she screamed.

"You're hurting me!" She cried. He only got closer to her as he grabbed the collar of her blouse and ripped open the first button but then stopped to watch her reaction. Her eyes widened with fear and she struggled even harder. She became more and more frightened by the minute.

"What? Jake's never done it rough with you? You don't like it? Maybe he's not doing it right." Mike said in a voice that terrified her.

"Let her go!" Someone roared down the hall. Renesmee recognized that voice and her fear instantly disappeared. Mike quickly let her go and turned around to see who had spoken. He wasn't expecting anyone to find them. No one visited that back hall during freshmen lunch, yet there he was. Jake and Seth ran towards them and Mike took off the other direction. Jake stopped right in front of Ness and took her in his arms while Seth kept running after Mike.

"Are you ok? Did he touch you?!" Renesmee's entire body was shaking and she couldn't respond. They heard the loud sound of someone being tacked and the both looked to see Seth pinning Mike to the floor a few yards away. Mike was bigger than Seth so Seth was having a hard time keeping Mike down. Jake let Ness go and walked to Mike with his hands balled into fists. By the time he got to them, Mike had overpowered Seth and was about to throw a punch but Jake caught him. Jake pulled Mike off Seth and tossed him against the wall. Mike hit his head and fell to the ground. Jake got on him and he started beating Mike relentlessly. He hit him hard in the face, again, and again. Mike's face was full of blood.

"Jake stop!" Renesmee cried. "You're scaring me." Jake immediately stopped and looked at her scared face. He got up from the floor, leaving Mike, moaning and took Renesmee into his arms. He walked down the hall with Renesmee silently crying in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Ness. I'm so sorry." Jake whispered to her. He was full of guild and remorse.

Jake heard that his 'little protector' was getting bullied and had to eat lunch by herself in the library the day before. He and Seth set out to find her so that Jake could introduce her to Seth and some of his friends. Seth was also a freshman. He was 15 and had the same lunch period as her. Jake knew Seth and his friends would keep the bullies at bay. The last thing in the world that he expected was to find her pinned against a locker by Mike. When he thought about the things he heard him say to her, it made him want to go back and finish him.

Seth opened the door to the infirmary. The nurse looked shocked. Jake gently put Ness on the table and when the nurse saw the blood on Jake's shirt she became even more concerned.

"It's not my blood. It's Mike Newton's. He's probably still on the floor of the back corridor by the library but you should take care of her first." He told her.

"What happened?" She asked as she started examining Renesmee.

"Newton had her pinned to a locker." Jake got closer to the nurse. "I think he was going to… I think he was…" He whispered to her but Ness still heard and she cried harder. The nurse was shocked but since Renesmee looked ok she quickly called the police. As she was talking to the police station, the principal walked in and two teachers followed after him with Mike. Jake stepped in front of Ness protectively and Seth followed his lead.

"Principal Harris. Take him to the back room. That boy attacked my patient." She instructed them. The principal's eyes widened when he saw the crying girl with her hair and shirt out of place. He looked at Jake's shirt and then he looked at Mike as the two teachers took him into the back room in the infirmary.

"I assume you did that." Principal Harris asked Jake.

"Yes, sir." He nodded. "Both of you go to my office and wait for me there." Ness looked at Jake in alarm. She was worried he was in trouble because of her. Jake smiled at her. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave her.

"It's ok sweetheart. I'm right here with you." The nurse said kindly. Ness looked at Jake with worry but she nodded. Jake smiled at her reassuringly and left.

"Renesmee is it ok to tell us what happened or do you want to wait for you parents?" The principal asked her in a soft voice. Ness shook again and new tears formed. She didn't want to talk about it. She was also worried that she might say something that might get Jake in trouble.

"Let me finish examining her until Dr. and Mrs. Cullen get here. I'll bring her over to Janet's office once I'm done." The nurse told the principal. He nodded in agreement. He knew Renesmee was only 13 and this type of event would've been traumatic for anyone. He walked over to his office and found both boys waiting for him at the front desk.

"Are you ok, son?" He asked Jake.

"Yes sir." The principal guided them to his office.

"Ok, what happened?" Jake and Seth told him everything they knew and heard. They told him about the party, about Ness getting bullied the day before, about how they went to find her and overheard what Mike had told her and about how he had her pined to the locker by the hair. The principal looked furious.

"What is your involvement with her Jake? This girl is only 13 and you're 18."

"It's not like that! I met her the night of the party at the police station for the first time!" Jake said quickly and Principal Harris raised his hand nodding.

"I believe you. You both came here with impeccable records. Mike on the other hand… I never thought he would be capable of doing something like this and to a child." The principal shook his head. Jake was still boiling and he was practically shaking in anger. Harris looked at him.

"You got him pretty good son. I know you feel responsible but you did your damage. Let it go and let me and the police take care of the rest."

"Are we going to get arrested?" Seth asked worried. He had never been in trouble before but he would gladly do it again to protect Ness. He heard what she did for Jake and he immediately decided he liked her. All of Jake's friends did as well.

"No. I don't condone violence in my school but considering the circumstances and you past records, I'm going to overlook it just this once. Besides, I seriously doubt chief Swan will let anyone press charges against the boys who protected his granddaughter so don't worry about it. You're not in trouble but I'm going to call your parents to let them know what happened, its school policy."

"It's ok, principal Harris. We understand. Can I see Ness?"

"She's with the school counselor but there's a little waiting are there. The cops will need to talk to you both so why don't you wait there for them." Both boys were relieved they weren't in trouble but Jake was more concerned about Ness than anything the cops could've done to him.

Jake and Seth went into the waiting area for the counseling office and waited there. After a few minutes Ness came out and sat next to him.

"You ok?" He asked her worriedly.

"I think so. Thank you, Jake." She told him with sincerity as she looked into his eyes.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He told her. She smiled at him and the three of them waited for the police to arrive.

Seth saw the sad face Ness was wearing and he decided he needed to do something about it.

"Hey Ness? What do you call a sleeping bull?" Ness looked at him strangely. She shrugged.

"A bull-dozer!" Ness stared at him for a moment but then she smiled. That's when Jake realized what Seth was doing.

"Dude, that was terrible! This is how its done." Jake told him then he turned to Ness. "Why did the lion spit out the clown?"

"I don't know." She told him quietly but still smiling. Jake leaned closer to her.

"Because he tasted funny!" He told her earning a giggle from his little protector. Jake and Seth got into it and soon they had Ness, smiling and laughing.

As they waited, Jake's two best friends came into the office. Quill and Embry heard was happened and were worried so when they saw the three of them telling jokes in the waiting room, they became confused. They could tell that Ness had been crying and assumed Jake and Seth were trying to cheer her up. After Jake introduced them to Ness, they stayed at the office with Jake, Ness and Seth. They kept telling jokes until the police arrived.

Ness stayed at Jake's side while the police talked to the parents about how they wanted to take the statements. It was a long day of questioning for all the kids. Chief Swan took the statement from his granddaughter while the deputies took Jake and Seth's statements. Once it was all over, both boys went to say goodbye to Ness and her family.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Cullen. If I had any idea I wouldn't have let her out of my sight." Jake said quickly. He felt so guilty. He felt as if should've anticipated something like this.

"Don't apologize. You saved my daughter, Jake. Thank you!" Bella told the boy in front of her as she hugged him. Jake realized that Ness had her mother's eyes. They were the most captivating eyes Jake had ever seen, by far his favorite feature on both mother and daughter. Bella was a beautiful woman. She looked younger than her 33 years of age. Edward also was a very handsome man. Ness looked a lot like him. 'Its no wonder Ness is so beautiful with parents like that,' Jake thought.

"I don't think they'll let Mike back at school but I promise you that we'll make sure she's always with someone, either way." Jake was worried about her continuing to get bullied. It was a much larger school after the merger. He would have to keep a close eye on her.

"We are going to press charges on Mike. He's not coming back here but neither is Nessie. This past month was more of an experimental trial for Renesmee to see if public high school was a right fit. I think we are going to do homeschooling or maybe a smaller private school for a couple of years. It's better if she made friends her own age." Edward told them. Jake and Seth both nodded. Jake had become attached to Ness and his chest compressed at the thought of seeing her go but he knew her parents were right. She would be safer at a small private school and she needed friends her own age to help her forget what almost happened to her. Jake wanted what was best for her so they said their goodbyes and that was the last time Renesmee talked to Jake Black. Her parents transferred her to a small private school in Port Angels and life went back to normal for both kids.


	3. Chapter 3

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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**Current…**

Jake thought about the first time they met as he drove himself to his shop. It was a strange time of his life that he hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about in his recent years. Back then, Jake thought about it a lot. He missed her. They weren't really friends at that time but he still worried about her. Jake often hoped he would run into her in town but he never did. The Cullens moved to their new house between Forks and Port Angeles so that they could be close to the office and Ness's school. Ness spent most of her spare time in Port Angeles and only came to Forks for family get togethers at her grandparent's house. Jake did run into her family often and he asked about her every chance he got. The more her parents told him about her, the less he worried about her and after a while he was worrying about things a normal 18 year old boy should be worrying about.

The Cullens took a great interest in Jake. They asked people they knew about him and only heard good things about Jake and his family. They were very impressed with Jake and his accomplishments in his community. Later that year, Dr. Cullen heard that Jake had to decline a football scholarship to take care of his dad, Edward quickly offered to help. Jacob and Billy both refused, at first, but Edward insisted that he should at least take some courses at the local college and do his degree in business. Billy couldn't really argue with that. During one of his visits, Edward suggested that someday Jake could own his own shop and Billy only had to take one look at his son's eyes to know that his son liked that idea a lot. After that conversation and with Billy's permission, Edward and Bella both created a scholarship fund for Jake and they continued to offer it to exemplary kids from the reservation every year since. The entire Cullen family supported the scholarship. Unlike government scholarships, the Cullen fund covered any university Jake wanted, even online programs. Thanks to their generosity, Jake got his degree. Jake was very grateful to the Cullens for all the help they offered him. He became their regular mechanic and never charged them for any of his work. It was his way of repaying them for their kindness.

Renesmee also asked her parents constantly about Jake. Her parents were worried about her ability to make new friends her age so they purposely tried to keep them apart. Neither parents felt right about it but when they saw that Ness was becoming herself again, they were too relieved to feel guilty. Ness made good friends at her new school and she even had a best friend close to her age name Claire Young. Like Ness, Claire was exceptionally smart and stated high school at 14. Claire came from a poor family in the Makah reservation so she was at the school on a scholarship. Both girls became inseparable and, eventually, they attended Stanford together.

Now, both best friends were both back in Washington. Claire had taken a job working as an engineer for the city of Port Angels a few years before Nessie's arrival. Ness, finished her first year residency and came back to Forks Hospital to work before she decided on a specialization. Ness could have chosen any hospital in the country but she missed her childhood home and decided that her home town hospital was good enough for her. It was a decision that her parents supported as long as she chose a specialization by the end of the year. She was living with them until that time arrived.

Renesmee had thought of Jake fondly over the years. She had hoped she would run into him in town, now that she was back. She never expected to see him at work. Ness drove home with a knot in her stomach. She played it cool at work but inside she was in a flurry of excitement. She didn't know if she would be able to wait two weeks to see him. She cursed herself for her anxiety about the situation. 'I'm not a little girl anymore' she thought annoyed with her nervous anticipation. 'I could ask him out' but that thought was dismissed instantly. It was against hospital policy to call a patient for anything other than medical reasons. 'I could take one of the cars in' she though more excitedly but then she remembered that Jake kept her parent's car running perfectly. Her own car was bran new, out of the dealer. A welcome home/graduation gift from her grandparents so she couldn't take it in either. She drove her car into the driveway hopeless.

She kept trying to think of a reason to run into him again but solution to her dilemma didn't come until dinner time. She had told her parents about running into Jake at the hospital. Normally she wouldn't discuss patients at the table but her dad had brought up the subject because he already knew about Jake's incident at the shop.

"He's fine, dad. He needed stitches but you know that's never a problem for me. He changed a lot over the past 11 years." She said that last part absentmindedly. Bella examined her daughter and smiled to herself as she saw that familiar sparkle in her eyes when Ness talked about Jake.

"Well of course he has. He was a boy when you first met him and now he's grown to be an excellent man. Don't you think so?" Bella asked her husband with a knowing smile. Edward looked at his women and he too understood what was happening.

"He sure has. Oh honey, that reminds me I'm going to borrow your car for the conference in Seattle next week since it gets better millage. Do you mind taking it to Jake's sometime this week for an oil change? I want to make sure everything runs smoothly for the trip." Edward told his daughter. Ness smiled widely and her father's suspicions were confirmed. He hadn't seen that gleam in his daughter's eyes in a long time. Too long, which is why he decided not to let Jake's age bother him.

"Thanks daddy. I will take it tomorrow after work." Ness told him. He hear fluttered in excitement.

Jake went back to work the following morning and spent his day in a haze. He couldn't stop thinking about Ness. He kept trying to think of reasons to see her again but, other than chopping off a finger, he had nothing. By the end of the day, Ness had consumed his every thought so his heart nearly stopped when he heard her familiar voice behind him.

"Hi Jake." Ness said as she closed the door of her car. Jake nearly bumped his head under the hood of the car he was fixing. He had been so distracted thinking about her that he didn't even see her drive in and get out of her car.

"Ness!" He almost dropped his wrench in excitement but he managed to compose himself. "This is a nice surprise. Are you here to check up on me Doc?" He asked her smiling.

"Of course. Got to make sure my orders are being followed." She wiggled her eyes and Jake laughed. "How's your arm?" She asked him, seeing that the bandages were clean but a little crinkled from movement.

"It's perfect. You did a good job, doc." He told her with a smile just as someone else joined them. Quill, who had been in the office, came out and saw them staring at each other. He didn't understand what was happening before him so he interrupted them.

"Hi Miss. Can we help you?" He asked formally. Quill was Jake's cousin and they worked at the shop together with Embry and his brother-in-law Paul. Embry had just gotten married so he was out for the rest of month. They were a bit undermanned but Quill wasn't one to turn down business. Quill looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and realized she looked familiar. That's when he started to wonder if he had interrupted something between them.

"Quill man. This is Renesmee Cullen. You remember Ness right?"

"Wait. You're Ness. You grew up good kid." Quill said, more relaxed now that he knew who he was talking to. He remembered Jake's little protector from high school. Ness laughed as Quill smiled and nodded when he looked at her. He was checking her out.

"Um. Thank?" She told him blushing slightly. Jake saw the light blush on her cheeks and glared at his friend.

"Get back in the office, you douche!" Jake said smiling but annoyed. He threw the rag he used to wipe his hands at his friend's face.

"Alright, alright. I'll let you two catch up." Quill said and went back into the office.

"So what can I do for you doc?" Jake said.

"Dad is taking a trip to Seattle and he wants to make sure everything is in order with the car. He said it needed an oil change."

"Sure. I can have that done in no time. Do you want to wait in the lobby area or would you like to hang out here?" He asked hopefully.

"Here is fine. That way I can make sure you don't hurt yourself."

"I'm not as clumsy as I look."

"Says the guy that nearly cracked his head a moment ago." She teased as she looked around.

"That one was your fault so it doesn't count." Jake said smiling and she giggled. Jake got into her car and drove it to the oil changing deck. He opened the hood of her car as she sat on the work table next to him.

"This place is very impressive Jake."

"Thanks. Embry and Paul also work here but Embry is out on his honeymoon and its Paul's day to pick up the kids from school." He told her as he checked things under the hood.

"I remember them. They were in the football team too. I can't believe Embry is married and Paul has kids already."

"Yeah. Embry got married last week and Paul married my sister a few years back. I swear she did it to torture me." Ness laughed as she remembered Paul's outbursts in the short time she went to school with Jake and the guys. He was well known for having a temper, which got him into a lot of trouble on the field.

"And what about you? Do you have a special someone?" She asked hopefully. She knew he wasn't married because her parents would have told her but she didn't know if he was seeing anyone.

"Naw. I'm still flying solo. What about you? Got some doctor back in California?" He asked her as he got under the car.

"No. I did for a while but not anymore."

"Then the guy is either an idiot or you broke up with him. I can't believe anyone would let go of a beautiful smart doctor like you." Ness blushed at his compliment and she was thankful he was still under the car.

"He was an idiot which it why I broke up with him." She amended.

"Ah… So you probably have every doctor in the hospital lined up to date you, now." She laughed.

"Not at all. I'm related to half the doctors in Forks hospital and the other half are older than grandpa. Besides, I am done dating doctors. It's too much of a hassle." She joked. He got out from under the car and gave her an amused look that made her smile.

"You _are_ a doctor." He told her as he got up to pour oil back into the car.

"That's how I know." He laughed.

"I doubt dating you would be a hassle." He told her with a look that made her entire body tingle with excitement.

"Only one way to find out." She smiled at him. Jake looked at her smiling at him. He realized, she wanted to go out with him and this made his heart flutter with excitement. He turned from her to try to compose himself and to check the oil stick.

"I think I can handle you, doc." He told her. His back was tuned to her so he turned around to see her face. She was smiling. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. He always loved her eyes.

"You're welcome to try." She said looking straight into his eyes with a coy smile that made him want to kiss her. They shared a look between them that sent sparks into both their bodies. She looked so sexy at that moment that he was having a hard time staying still.

"How about I try over dinner tomorrow?"

"Ok. Tomorrow then. Pick me up at 6?"

"Six is perfect. And your oil change is done."

"That was fast."

"Actually, I finished 5 minutes ago. I just like talking to you." He confessed with a wink.

"I like it too." She told him and they shared another look. Jake wanted to go over to her and kiss her but instead he closed the hood of her car. Ness hopped off the table where she was sitting and approached him. She took his hand, not caring about the grease that would surely taint her manicured hand.

"Thanks Jake… Um. Do I pay you or Quill?"

"It's on the house. It's always on the house for you." His thumb rubbed her hand. He resisted the urge to bring her hand to his lips so that he could taste her skin and, instead, he let her hand go.

"See you tomorrow, Jake." She said smiling.

"See you tomorrow, Ness." He opened the door to her car and closed it after she was safely inside.

"Drive safe." He told her as she pulled out of the car deck. Quill came out then and put his arm around his best friend's shoulder as Jake watched her drive off.

"So, Renesmee Cullen, huh? Aiming a little high there cuz?"

"Yeah. After everything that happened with Leah, there is nowhere to go but up. Might as well aim for the stars." Jake went over to clean his hands. He knew he couldn't hide his excitement and Quill saw the change in him.

"I think you deserve someone like her. She's gorgeous and she definitely likes you." Quill encouraged. He was tired of seeing his friend mope around the garage. He hadn't seen Jake that excited about anyone in over a year.

"You think?" Jake knew something had passed between them but he was still unsure. She was a doctor and he was just the small town mechanic. He had never heard of a doctor dating a mechanic.

"Of course, man. Plus, you two have history. You're like her knight in shining armor and she's yours. You were totally depressed when she left the first time."

"I was just worried about her. Geez! She was just a kid!"

"She's certainly not one now."

"Not at all, but she's still a little young, though." He said a little worried.

"She's what, 24 now. I mean. She's a doctor. She has the life of a thirty year old. Do you really see a woman like her with a guy in his mid-twenties?"

"No way. You're right. I'll show her the benefits of dating someone older." Quill laughed and went over to clean up the mess from the oil change.

"I'm sure you will. So, where are you taking her?"

"I thought I might cook for her." Jake leaned against the counter thinking of his options.

"You really think a woman like that will go to your apartment on the first date?" Quill looked at him doubtful.

"Of course not! I thought I would do a picnic or something." 'Would a woman like Ness like picnics?' He thought with worry. 'Ness was rich but she was very down to earth and humble. Maybe she would like it?' He hoped.

"Take her to dinner at a nice place." Quill suggested but Jake quickly scoffed at his idea.

"That's what every guy does. This is Renesmee Cullen. I want to do something special." He insisted.

"Then you know where you need to take her." Jake looked at his friend and both men smiled at each other knowingly.

"I certainly do." He told his cousin and started planning for his date.


	4. Chapter 4

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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The following day Ness spent her day in a state of excitement. Everyone in the office noticed. Her anticipation built throughout the day and she was practically frantic by the time she got home. Bella noticed her daughter's anxiety and went into her room as her daughter was getting ready.

"Hot date tonight?" She asked with a knowing smile. She sat on her bed and looked at her daughter with amusement.

"Yeah. Do you mind covering for me? I rather not tell dad about it."

"Why not? Your dad loves Jacob." Ness looked at her mother in shock.

"How did you…" Bella snickered, cutting her daughter off mid question.

"Pft! _Please_. You've had a crush on him since the first day you met him. Jake was at the hospital, your father sent you to get the car fixed yesterday, now you're practically jumping out of your skin with excitement…"

"Ok. Ok. Sooo, my wise all-knowing mother, what should I wear for my first date with the man of my dreams?" Ness asked her in a sarcastic tone even though every word she said was true. Bella got up from the bed and went to her daughter. She put both hands on her daughter's shoulder.

"You wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable, whatever makes you feel most like you." Ness smiled at her mother.

"Thanks mom." Bella left Ness so that she could get ready.

Bella had always known about her daughter's feelings for Jake. She didn't know much about Jake, at first, but she knew about his mother Sarah. Sarah was a good woman. Bella had met her on several occasions while she worked at Carlisle Cullen's doctor's office before she started dating her boss's youngest son. Bella had even seen little Jake and the twins on a few occasions. Bella had been terribly saddened by that happened to that family but that was around the time she was working on her bachelor's degree in education so she was unable to do anything about it. When Jake saved her daughter, she encouraged her husband to take an interest in him. In fact, the entire family took an interest in him. Over time, Bella came to truly care for Jake and she was happy that her daughter finally had a chance to go out with him, now, that the timing was right for both of them.

Renesmee walked to her closet and took out a pair of jeans, her favorite blouse and cardigan. The one that made her breast look good. She matched it with her favorite designer boots and the proper accessories. She was nervous and when she saw his car drive up, she was more nervous. Ness walked downstairs and outside to meet Jake. Jake parked the car and quickly went to open the door for her. Renesmee heart fluttered when she saw him. He was also wearing jeans, a black shirt and a jacket.

Jake hadn't told her what they were doing tonight so he was worried she would show up in a fancy dress and stilettos. She didn't dress casual but she looked comfortable and completely gorgeous. Ness's beauty was effortless and genuine. He was glad she wasn't the type of girl that made herself look completely different for a date. She had boots on which was perfect for what he has planned.

"You look beautiful." He told her as he held the door open for her, thinking how perfect she was.

"Thank you." She said with a blush. Renesmee got in the car and they drove off a moment later.

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." He told her.

"It smells amazing in here."

"Well that's part of the surprise." She looked at the back seat and saw the large picnic basket. She smiled, thinking how it was a perfect night for a picnic.

"I didn't know you cooked." She told him with a teasing tone.

"I've cooked for a very long time. Not all of us have maids." He teased back.

"We don't have maids! Mom cooks for us every day and daddy usually cooks on weekends. When I went to college, Claire and I took turns."

"Claire?"

"My roommate. She's my best friend since high school. She's Makah actually, Claire Young."

"Young? I know Claire. Well… I know her family. She's your friend?"

"Yes. We graduated high school and went to Stanford together. I can't believe you know Claire!"

"Well, like I said, I know her family. I don't really know her."

"I'm going to hurt her. _She_ should have told me. I certainly talked about you enough over the years."

"Really? You talked about me a lot?" Renesmee felt her face go up in flames. Jake saw her cheeks burn even in the darkness of the car. He laughed out loud.

"You're blushing."

"I am not!" He laughed harder when she raised her hand to cover her cheek.

"You are too. What? Did you have a huge crush on me in high school?"

"Ok. So maybe I _had_ a huge crush on you back then. I was just a kid."

"_Had_ a crush?" He asked as he parked.

"Yes _had_. You're all old now. Totally unappealing." Jake laughed harder as he left the car to open her door.

"I'm like a fine wine, Doc. Only get better with age." He told her as she stepped out of the car. She took the hand he held out for her.

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see." He took some supplies from the back seat and then he took her hand again. He led her down a dark path to the lake. Most women would be scared to be alone in a dark forest with a man but Renesmee trusted him completely. They walked down to the lake and Jake let go of her hand again when they got to a large clearing. The sun was beginning to set but it was still clear enough to see the large beautiful lake.

"Wait here." He instructed and he went out to the deck. He set the food on some wooden planks and stated lighting the lanterns. Renesmee opened her eyes wider in surprise. It looked stunning. The deck started at the edge of a lake and Jake was lighting up the lanterns that lit the dock from the shore to a large floating deck towards the middle of the lake. It was beautiful. He set up large blanket for them on the deck.

"A picnic in the middle of the lake. It's beautiful." She told him when he returned. He took her hand and led her out to the deck. They both sat on the picnic blanket and Jake set up the food and music.

"I have to say. I've never had dinner in the middle of a lake before."

"I figured I had to do something special. You know, to make up for the fact that you are out with an _old man_." She laughed at his annoyed tone because she knew he was just teasing her.

"Well nice job, old man. It's perfect." They settled on the plush blanket Jake had set up and started serving the food.

"So is this where you take all the ladies you want to impress?"

"Not all the ladies. Just the special ones." He waited to see her reaction and noticed that her smile diminished slightly.

"Just one special lady, actually. You're the only woman I've brought here. The guys and I built this for Embry and Karen's wedding. They had tables and chairs over here. That's why the deck is so big." Her smile returned again and she took a bite of her lasagna.

"You guys did an amazing job. It's beautiful here." She told him as she took a sip of the wine he brought for them.

"Yeah. It turned out pretty well."

"This is really good, by the way." She told him as she took another bite of her lasagna. He smiled at her and took another bite too.

"Thanks. Lasagna is my specialty. Just don't ask me to make anything else." She laughed and they both continued eating.

"So what happened after high school? My dad said that you declined a football scholarship." Ness asked him as they finished their meal.

"Yeah. I had to take care of my dad. He has diabetes and he's also disabled from a car accident."

"I remember that. Your mom died in that accident."

"Yeah." She saw the look of pain in his eyes and she regretted bringing it up. She quickly put her hand over his.

"I'm sorry about your mom. It must have been hard growing up without her." He nodded and took her hand in his.

"It was. My sisters left the first chance they got but I had to stay for my dad. Rachel and Paul reconnected at college. They moved back here like 5 years ago but before that it was basically just my dad and me on our own."

"You did pretty well for yourself though. You have your own successful business."

"I bought the place shortly after Paul and Rachel moved back. It was a lot of work but it was worth it."

"So you were a business owner by 26? That's very impressive."

"Not as impressive as being a doctor at 24. What did you do? Speed through med school?"

"No. I graduated with about a year of college credit so I only had to do 3 years of undergrad. Then 4 years of med school and 1 year of residency just like everyone else." He nodded and popped a grape into his mouth.

"So is that it or are you doing more school?"

"My family wants me to do more. I'm a pretty good surgeon. Best in my class but I don't know. Cutting people open, sealing them up, and then sending them on their way is not why I became a doctor."

"So do something else."

"I wish it were that simple. The thing is that I really do like surgery and I am _very_ good at it. I'm sort of a prodigy. I got an offer for John Hopkins and everything with a world renowned brain surgeon. But I couldn't take it. I like being connected to my patients. I like the idea of seeing kids grow up at my office and their kids after that but, I would have to be a family practitioner in order to do that and according to my dad, my talent would be wasted on stitching knees and delivering the occasional baby instead of saving lives. It's hard to argue with that." He stared at her the entire time she was talking, mesmerized by the passion in her eyes when she talked about her patients. She really loved what she did and he thought it was sexy as hell.

"So you're that good huh?" He stoked her hand with his thumb, which he was still holding.

"Yeah, and I like it a lot. I just… I don't know. That's why I'm back home with my parents. I gave myself a year to figure something out."

"It's a tough choice to make. I'm sure you'll do well either way."

"Let's hope so."

"Was it hard for you to go to college so young?"

"Not really. I had Claire and since I was a minor my parents moved with me. My dad had the hardest time because he still saw patients here every other week so he was going back and forth for about a year until I turned 18."

"And you moved into the dorms at 18 and partied like a college girl? Or were you a good little book worm?" For some reason, he couldn't see her as a party girl even though the thought of 18 year old Ness dancing in a tight mini skirt was very intriguing to him.

"Ha, ha. For your information, I was both. I only lived in the dorms for one semester and during that semester I partied like there was no tomorrow. The next year, Claire was having some financial trouble and she had to take more work hours. Her grades were suffering and she was at risk of losing her scholarship. I knew she would never let my parents pay for her school so I got a little sneaky."

"You? Sneaky?" He teased.

"Yeah. I talked to my parents about it and asked them to let me rent a two bedroom apartment. They came over and signed a lease for a two bedroom apartment before I even told Claire about it. Then when she came over for dinner with us that night, my mom, casually mentioned how glad she was that we would be living together. Mom helped me plan the whole thing out, you see. As crazy as she is, Claire is too polite to say no to my parents. Afterwards, I told Claire that if she didn't move in with me, my parents would be paying for me to have a spare room ant that they would be insulted if she said no to them. So that's how I kinda tricked her into moving in with me."

"That was sneaky. But I'm sure you still had time to party since your parents were covering both your rents."

"My parents wanted to make sure Claire and I were in a safe place so the apartment was a lot more expensive than the dorms. Claire and I decided that we would take care of the utilities and my parents would take care of the rent. I knew that my parents had the money to pay for everything but Claire flat out refused to let them pay for the utilities too and I felt a little guilty about my lifestyle that first semester. I saw how much my best friend struggled to make ends meet. I felt bad for her but I also really admired her for it. I got a job with Claire so that my parents didn't have to pay for my car and the utilities for the apartment. Claire and I shared those expenses along with the groceries. So I didn't really have time to party between work and school. At least not like I did the first semester."

"You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

"What's so amazing?"

"Most 18 year olds wouldn't give up a rich girl party life to help out a friend."

"She's my best friend. It was the right thing to." She said as she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. There is was, that same strength and confidence that struck him the first time he met her, that incredulous look that made honor and virtue seem like the easiest, most obvious choice instead of the hardest and most self-sacrificing.

It was that moment that Jacob Black started to fall in love with Renesmee Cullen. Jake reached out and grazed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. Mesmerized by her lips, he brought her closer to him and he kissed her. Neither of them were prepared for that kiss. Ness had been secretly dreaming of this moment for 11 years and Jake had just realized he was falling love with her so, when their lips met, it was magic.

The kiss started softly at first. Both were exploring and getting familiar with the new sensations and flavors caused by each other's lips. He took her bottom lips as his hands moved to her neck and then slowly down her back to her waist. Ness hands found their way to his neck and she gently brought herself even closer to him. With his hands on her waist, he brought her to his lap and she quickly straddled him, the contact made both of them moan.

The moment their bodies touched their kissing became hungrier. She opened her mouth slightly and he happily took her invitation. Their tongues caressed each other creating new sensations in both their bodies. She was flying. Her body felt like it was on fire and his was also up in flames. He knew they were getting carried away but this woman felt his and some part of him knew that nothing else mattered but her, like the universe no longer existed. Only her. He would always be hers and she would be his.

Without any hesitation, Ness pushed Jake gently onto the blanket. Jake felt his jeans grow tighter by the minute. He leaned forward a bit so that he could taste her supple neck which had been taunting him. She moaned when she felt the pressure of his light suctions and nibbles on the sensitive area at the base of her neck. She felt a warm liquid pool between her legs as her excitement grew. She was his. Some part of her knew she had been his from the moment she first talked to him 11 years ago. There was something about the way he looked at her that day, similar to the way he looked at her just a few moments ago, only this time it was more intense. She loved him, she always had and, the moment he kissed her, she knew she would be his forever. Nothing else mattered now, it was only him.

Jacob started unbuttoning her shirt until her bra was showing. He almost moaned when he saw the delicate black lace pattern. Her nipples stiffened and he wasn't sure if it was because of the cold night or her aroused state. He suspected it was a combination of both. The lanterns he lit released some heat but he knew it was too cold to do this without any protection from the cold. He moved forward until he was sitting up again, then he cradled her confused face in his hands and kissed her lips gently.

"Give me a minute. I don't want you to catch a cold." He told her and then he kissed her nose, causing her to smile in response. He helped her up and then he removed the containers form the blanket. Jake had not planned for this or he wouldn't have planned their date for outside but thankfully he had used a large king size sleeping bag under the picnic blanket because it was the only large plush thing he could find. He opened the sleeping bag thinking how lucky he was that it was large enough to protect them both from the cold and that's when he realized that protection from the cold wasn't the only thing he overlooked.

"Shit Ness. I'm sorry. I really wasn't planning for this and I didn't bring any protection." He said as he sat back down on the open sleeping bag. Ness sat next to him and both of them looked out onto the lake. It was beautifully illuminated by the full moon which was reflected on the water. He put the open flap of the sleeping bag and the blanket around them. She snuggled close to him for additional warmth and he put his arm around protectively.

"I'm on the pill and I got checked up 7 months ago after… Well it came out clean and I haven't been with anyone since."

"It was 10 months ago for me. I also came out clean and I also haven't been with anyone since."

"How come?" She asked, thinking how it was strange that he hadn't been with anyone for 10 months.

"I, sort of, got my heart broken. I was dating Leah Clearwater, Seth's older sister. You remember Seth?"

"Of course." He nodded and continued his story.

"She had been heartbroken for a long time. She had dated Sam Uley since high school and they went off to college together. They got engaged and shortly after that Sam met her cousin, Emily. He broke off the engagement and started going after her. Emily is Claire's cousin."

"Oh. I think I heard Claire mention this story. I can't believe it!"

"Nobody saw it coming. Sam was always a smooth talker but we all thought he was devoted to Leah. He had never gone after other girls before Emily. I don't know what happened there but he ended up marrying Emily. Leah was pretty bad for a long time. We became friends when Rachel moved back, she and Leah were friends, and then we started dating. I had dated girls on and off but I never got serious with anyone until I met Leah. I thought I was making her happy but her heart was somewhere else. I really liked her. I thought I was in love with her and when I told her she told me she wasn't at the same place. Her heart still belonged to Sam and I just couldn't compete. It was kinda hard to get excited about dating after that."

"I'm sorry that happened to you. I know how it feels to not be loved enough."

"What? Who could ever be stupid enough to not love _you_ enough?"

"My ex-boyfriend."

"What happened?

"I had dated some guys when I was in undergrad but no one I really liked. I didn't date at all when I was in med school. Then for my residency, I met this other doctor, Nahuel Ramos. He's from South America. He was sweet, kind, exotic... I really liked him. If I have to be honest, I don't know if I loved him but I definitely liked him a lot and I thought he felt the same. In fact, he told me he wanted to marry me someday. I was so sure that I met somebody that I could build something with. You know what I mean?"

"Of course. You thought you two could build a life together."

"Exactly. We dated for 6 months when I stupidly decided to take him to my cousin's wedding. My oldest cousin Kate was getting married to her fiancé Garret. As soon as we got there, her sister Tanya set her eyes on Nahuel. She's very beautiful and seductive. Strawberry blond hair, curves on all the right places, alabaster skin and my dad's green eyes. I really should feel sorry for Nahuel. He didn't stand a chance."

"I can't believe it! If this guy picked a blond over you then he's a complete moron." She shrugged thinking that moron or not he picked _her_.

"My grandfather's side of the family are all blond and stunningly gorgeous, you should see my dad's older brother and sister; they're twins. Aunt Rosie was a professional runway model but she used a different last name then. Rosalie Hale. You might have heard of her."

"Yeah, I've heard of her. She's famous!"

"Yes well… She has a large modeling agency in Seattle with her husband Emmett and my uncle Jasper. He's a lawyer/agent for her company and he married one of the fashion directors there."

"So your family is made up of models and doctors?" 'No wonder she was so beautiful and talented' he thought.

"Yep but we got off track. Anyways, long story short, I caught Nahuel and Tanya in bed together after the wedding. My dad and uncles wanted to kill him but my cousins got to him first. Benjamin and Peter beat him up so bad that he had to go to the hospital. It was pretty bad."

"Good. Like I said, he's a moron. He didn't deserve you."

"Thanks. The worst part came afterward. Nahuel, confronted me and made it seem like it was my fault. He said that he never really loved me because I was using him for sex just like Tanya had. He said that I was no different from my slutty cousin. I was stunned by his accusation. It was as if he turned into a completely different person. We were at the Starbucks across the street from my hospital in Seattle. I threw burning hot coffee on his face. I also screamed at his face that 'Tanya was a slut and I was nothing like her.' This was all in a very public place where all my colleagues had coffee before work. I wanted to strangle him."

"You should've. I'm so sorry he hurt you but I'm kinda glad your free to be here… with me."

"Me too." She told him as she looked into his eyes. She was lost in them. He leaned down and kissed her again. Almost as soon as their lips touched, the fire between them lip up again and they made love under the starts that night. They cuddled up afterwards and talked the about their lives until they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

Both lovers were awakened by the morning light. It was a beautiful sunrise. Ness has fallen asleep on Jake's chest. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes, slightly disoriented. He smiled when he saw her drowsy, confused face and he put his arms around her tightly so that he could trap her in his arms while he peppered every inch of her face with playful kisses. Ness giggled and Jake's heart swelled. He couldn't remember another time where he was this happy.

"Good morning to you too." She told him smiling and she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips trying to avoid the very unromantic morning breath she suspected they both had.

"I hate to have to leave but we should get going before your parent's send out a search party. Plus, I wanna make sure you have breakfast before I take you back home." She was touched by how concerned he was with her.

"Ok."

They both got dressed and packed up the picnic leftovers before they drove off. Jake took her to the town dinner because it was the only place that would be open at 5 in the morning. He was worried it wasn't classy enough for her but that thought was discarded when he saw her get excited as they parked. She had many breakfasts there with her family as a child and she hadn't had an opportunity to eat there since she moved back. After breakfast, Jake took her straight home hoping to get her back before her parents woke up. He owed everything to her family and was worried they would be upset by keeping their daughter out all night on their first date. After the night they had, Jake had every intention of becoming a permanent fixture in Ness's life and he didn't want to give the wrong impression to Ness or her parents.

"I know you're an adult but will your parents be upset." He looked so worried that it made her laugh.

"No. I would've had a few phone call already if they were really worried. My mom knew I was with you and at this age, I don't have to ask for permission to stay out all night."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure I didn't mess things up before we even got started."

"And what exactly are we starting?" She teased. He smiled at her again and cradled her face in his hands.

"This." He kissed her softly but passionately in his car before he got out to open her door. He left her breathless. 'Yes, we're definitely starting something' she thought as he opened her door. He took her hand to help her out and then he walked her to her door.

"I have to work this morning but I'll call you in the afternoon. Is that ok?"

"That's perfect. I'm working at the office today so I get to leave early today. Maybe we can do something later?"

"Absolutely!" He kissed her lips one last time before getting into his car. Ness went into her parent's home unable to recall a moment when she felt this happy. Her parents were already in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Hi mom, hi daddy."

"Did you just get in?" Her dad asked surprised. Bella told him she was out catching up with some friends and would be out late. He was surprised and annoyed to see that his daughter had been gone all night without letting them know. Both women could see the frustration on his face.

"Edward..." Bella warned as she sipped her coffee.

"I'm sorry daddy. We lost track of time. We had a lot to catch up on."

"Who's we?" Edward asked suspiciously as he realized his daughter could not stop smiling from the moment she came in. Ness looked at her mother surprised that she still hadn't told him. Bella winked at her.

"Sorry dad. I thought mom told you by now. Um… I was out with Jake, catching up. You know Jake?" She said casually and walked over to the cabinet to get a coffee mug. Edward relaxed at bit once he realized who she was with. He wasn't happy about his daughter spending the night and probably sleeping with a man after the first date. However, after the fiasco with Nahuel, he was relieved that she was out with Jake. He was hoping they would reconnect.

"Of course I know Jake. How is he?" He said calmly, trying to remind himself that his daughter was an adult.

"He's doing well." She told him. She sat at the counter, next to her mom as her father filled her mug with coffee.

Ness had coffee with her parents and she told them about their date, sparing them of all the inappropriate details. She would leave those for Claire. Edward and Bella saw how their daughter lit up when she spoke about Jake. Bella was beyond pleased and in a way, so was Edward.

Edward was a father but he wasn't a fool. He was very observant of his daughter and he knew that she had been in love with Jake since she was 13. He wanted his daughter to be happy and looking into his daughter's eyes, he saw that re-connecting with Jake made her _very_ happy. But he saw something more than just a smitten young woman. He saw the all the signs of a blossoming love. Edward wanted his daughter to feel love in her life but he also wanted her to fulfill her dreams of becoming a surgeon. As he saw the look in his daughter's eyes he worried that dream might be at risk.

Edward wasn't certain about the depth of Jake's feelings but he suspected that Jake must have felt something for Ness even if it was at a subconscious level. She was too young so whatever feelings Jake had were platonic at the time. Jake would ask about her all the time and he always held a spark of admiration whenever he heard all the amazing things his daughter had accomplished.

Edward liked Jake a lot as did his wife. He wasn't a doctor and he came from a humble family but he knew Jake would be more than capable of caring for his little girl. Jake was the type of man who took care his people. When he was young he would mow lawns for some of his elderly neighbors. When the schools merged, he tried his best to unite the student body. Now as an adult, he actively participated in council meetings and diligently tended to any problems that affected his community. He was a protective leader as any tribal chief should be.

Everyone in the community loved Jake and he made sure he did everything he could to take care of his people. But Edward didn't need to know all of this to be impressed with Jake. Edward was impressed with him the moment Jake stood up to speak up for his daughter to her very upset father. So no, Edward had no doubt that his daughter would be happy and well cared for. His worry was that Jake would inadvertently hold her back from becoming the amazing surgeon she was meant to be. How was she supposed to go to John Hopkins when she was attached to someone who had so many responsibilities to his community?

Ness took a quick shower and got dressed before she went to her office. She loved working at the office. She had many childhood memories attached to that office and she was grateful that her grandfather welcomed her so easily. Her father took some convincing because he was set on her going to John Hopkins but the more time Ness spent at the office the more she loved the idea of staying. Her grandpa Carlisle had specialized in internal medicine and family practice. Carlisle spent most of his time at the office or doing home visits while Edward and Ness took turns visiting patients at the hospital. Edward had taken an interest in gynecology and fertility after nearly losing his wife while she was giving birth to Ness. Bella couldn't have any more children after that. The practice had mainly been a family practice. There were few specialist in town so her family were like the 'Jack of all trades' in the area of medicine. Thankfully, her family had always loved to learn and she inherited that trait from them. That's part of the reason why it was so difficult for her to just choose one area of specialty.

Ness saw her patients all day and was somehow able to concentrate on her work. However, her anticipation was noticeable. She had been smiling all morning but now she seemed anxious. Her grandfather looked at her with worry as she checked her phone again for the 5th time since lunch.

"Everything ok, sweetheart?" Carlisle asked as he passed her in the hallway.

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

"You're checking your phone a lot today. Are you expecting a call from the hospital?"

"No, no. Everything is ok. I'm expecting a call from an old friend."

"Well that's nice. I'm glad you're reconnecting with your friends. I thought I was going to have to get the boys to come kidnap you." He told her smiling. Carlisle was relieved to hear she was seeing her old friends. She had been home for a little over a month and had not gone out to do anything other than fishing with Charlie. Carlisle even thought about calling his grandsons to come visit her and get her out.

"As fun as that sounds, I rather the boys stay in Seattle where the damage they do can't be traced back to us." Carlisle laughed out loud as his granddaughter's comment.

"I think you're right." He told her and headed back to his office with an amused smile.

Around 4, Jake called and they set up a date to go see a movie at Port Angles. They talked the entire drive to Port Angels. Jake kept having a hard time concentrating on the road because he kept stealing looks at her. She was wearing a sun dress that showed off her sexy legs and he wanted to touch her in the worst way. But it wasn't just her body that had him mesmerized. It was everything. Her laugh, her beautiful smile when she talked about her family. The look in her eyes as she talked about practicing medicine. Jake was almost sorry when they arrived at the theater; he could've spent the entire night driving and listening to her. When they arrived, they walked hand in hand towards the ticket booth.

"So what do you feel like watching? Action, syfy, _romance_?" He mentioned the last one with a worried look on his face that made Ness laugh.

"I haven't seen the last Fast and Furious movie yet. Do you want to watch that one?"

"A woman after my own heart!" He said as he put his arm around her, relieved. He was surprised by how comfortable he felt around her. Technically, they didn't really know each other. They had some history but they didn't spend any time together growing up. A part of him worried that he was being too comfortable and too familiar around her but he had not seen any signs of discomfort from her. In fact, it was the opposite.

After he paid for their tickets, _she_ took his hand so that they could walk inside together. At the concession line, _she_ leaned against him as they waited to get popcorn, giving him an opportunity to put his arm around her. As soon as he did this, _she_ wrapped her arms around his waist. Everything between them felt so intimate and right that it surprised him that this was only their second date. They took their food and walked into the theater. Jake got a large tub of popcorn for them, nachos, and drinks.

"Do you really think we'll eat all this?"

"You know _I_ can. You saw me eat last night." She laughed.

"It's a miracle you're so fit."

"Yeah. I work out." He said proudly. They took their seats and waited for the movie to start. She took out her phone to silence it and he saw a missed text from her dad. He turned off his own phone while she read it. His initial insecurity about her family returned to his mind. Edward and Bella were amazing people but this was their daughter.

"So your parents are ok with all this right?"

"Yes." She laughed. "Why are you so worried? You know my parents love you right?"

"Yeah. That's why I want to make sure they're not upset. I really like your parents. They helped me out a lot growing up."

"Really? How so?" She knew her parents' scholarship fund but that was all she knew.

"You don't know?"

"I know my parents helped you get your scholarship." She told him.

"They did a lot more than that. Your dad tried to convince me to take the football scholarship but after I explained the situation with my dad, he talked to the council and he set up a scholarship for me. Your family still gives out that scholarship every year. That's how I was able to get my degree in business. Your dad even paid for additional courses in mechanics. Your mom helped me out a lot too. She corrected my papers and taught me how to study for tests. I was constantly at her library doing workshops. She still comes over and brings 'brain food' every once and a while. The guys love it. Your grandfather personally took over my dad's medical care. He helps us fill out medical forms for anything my dad ever needs. Your dad delivered my niece. I mean, your family is pretty amazing. That's why I don't ever charge Cullens in my shop." Ness was touched by her family's interest in the man who saved her life. She was so grateful that they took care of Jake and his family but she wasn't surprised. Jake was right. Her family was amazing. Ness felt like she was about to embarrass herself so she tried to cover it up with a joke.

"And I thought I was getting the pretty girl special." She told him and bumped her shoulder into his. He laughed, putting his arm around her and bringer her closer to him.

"Yeah well, you would've gotten it regardless of your last name." He kissed her nose and then her lips. The movie stated then and they both watched. Ness pulled the arm rest between then and she snuggled even closer to Jake. He gladly put his arm around her again and brought her closer to him. Feeling his arm around her so securely gave her an odd sense of security and familiarity. Like this was exactly where she belonged, in his arms.

Jake kept trying to concentrate on the movie but he kept glancing at Ness every so often to see her reactions. He rubbed circles on her side as he held her. All his insecurities about getting too familiar with her melted away as he held her. It was like she belonged in his arms and it made him feel like he could hold her like that forever.

After the movie, Jake took Ness to dinner to an Italian restaurant. They ate, drank and talked for hours until the restaurant closed. Jake was a gentleman this time and he promptly took Ness home after their date. He walked her to her front door and kissed her lips softly. He wanted to sleep with her again but he also wanted to show her he wasn't in it for the sex. He was falling in love with her. As crazy as it sounded in his mind, in his heart, he knew that he was falling in love with Renesmee Cullen.

"Good night, baby. I'll call you tomorrow." He told her and kissed her forehead before he went back to his car. Ness's heart was beating so fast she felt like it would explode out of her chest. She was falling hard and fast for this man. A part of her wondered if it was too fast. She felt so comfortable with him that it seemed unfathomable that this was only their second date. In her head, it was too soon to think it but her heart knew she had just found the man she was going to marry. Nothing felt more right than her feelings for Jacob Black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Jake and Ness went out every night and spent every free moment together. Both Jake and Ness were family oriented and, with all the time they were spending together, their families quickly started to blend. Both families already knew each other well so it was easy for them to integrate into each other's lives. The transition was seamless, 'as easy as breathing', Jake thought once.

Ness had breakfast for dinner with Jake's family every Thursday night. She attended church with them on Sunday mornings and then Jake went to Sunday dinners at the Cullen's. They went fishing with her grandfather and Jake's dad one weekend and Billy and Charlie instantly took to each other. Jake joked how they had just witness the beginning of a beautiful bromance. Even Carlisle went fishing with Charlie and Billy a few times.

Bella had Jake invite his family over for dinner at Nessie's grandparents and both families instantly took to one another. Esme and Bella, who were both expert chefs, had several cooking lessons with Rachel after she confessed she was a terrible cook. Ness joined them for every lesson and became very close to Rachel, Paul and their kids. Ness had even become a part of Jake's community. There were several families and elderly in the reservation that could not afford healthcare. Because she was dating Jake, Ness was welcomed in the reservation so she took advantage of that to offer her services. She started with house calls and then she found government grants to offer free services to whoever needed assistance. The community loved her just as much as they loved Jake.

Jake already had a close relationship with Bella because she tutored him throughout his college education but he also found common ground with Edward. They were both automobile aficionados and would talk about cars over beers after Sunday dinner. Jake had always been a bit intimidated by Edward but after a few beers, he realized Edward was very down to earth. Ness was happy to see them bonding and decided to reward them so Ness talked to her aunts. Alice and Rose got all the guys tickets to a car show. Jake was a bit hesitant at first but both men drove to Seattle together after a little persuasion from their bronze haired angel. They would do anything for her.

After having lunch with all of Ness's aunts, uncles, cousins, and her father, Jake felt like he had been set up in a trap. He had met all of them once before during one of the Cullen's Sunday dinners but he and Ness had left quickly after that. Thankfully, after their lunch, it was a guys trip, so Jake also got to spend some time with Ness's uncles and cousins. He found it a lot less overwhelming that way. Jake liked Edward's brother-in-law Emmett almost immediately and he got along well with Edward's two oldest nephews Peter and Benjamin. Edward's older brother was another story. Jasper, was very intimidating. Jasper was good at reading people just like Edward. Some of his questions made Jake a bit uncomfortable and Edward had to step in to make fun of his brother in order to lighten the mood. Jake realized that Edward was a lighter more down to earth version of his older brother.

By the end of the trip, Ness's uncles went home impressed with Jake. They all began to realize that there was a good chance Jake would be a part of their family. They saw it every time Jake talked about Ness. Edward and Jake had really bonded over their trip. On their drive back to Forks, both men were more comfortable talking and even joking with one another. Edward was driving fast and Jake threatened to tell Bella because he knew that she hated when people drove fast.

"If you tell her, I'll tell Ness you ran over a stray cat while we were in Seattle." Edward threatened jokingly.

"That cat was very alive when I checked my rear view mirror." Jake reminded him. They had taken a test drive on the year's new Ferrari and had a little too much fun.

"I have to say that it was very difficult not to buy that Ferrari." Edward was still dreaming of the soft hum of the engine and the feeling of power at his hands.

"It was sweet ride. I still can't believe you talked the guy into giving us a test drive."

"Bella always said that I have a tenancy to dazzle people."

"Sure, sure. I guess it helped that the guy was gay." Jake teased and both men laughed remembering what happened.

"At least we got to drive the Ferrari."

"You really know your cars. I'm definitely impressed."

"I like fast cars. If Bella wasn't such a stickler for safety, I would be driving that Ferrari instead of this Volvo."

"I could always fix it up for you to make it go faster."

"Really? You can do that without Bella finding out."

"I could but I don't know if I want to go against Bella." Edward chuckled.

"Yes. My wife can be rather scary when she wants to be."

"At least he's not as scary as Jasper." Edward smiled knowing his brother had a way of unnerving even the strongest of men.

"Don't take it personal, he's very protective of his only niece. He was already very impressed with you but he had to test you to make sure. He didn't use to be like that but life handed him some tough blows which is why he is so distrustful of newcomers."

"I felt like I was being interrogated. He could give Charlie a run for his money."

"He's become excellent at reading people in order to intimidate them. That's why he's such a good lawyer." Jake wondered why Jasper was like that considering Carlisle and Esme were two of the kindest most delightful people he ever met.

"Do you mind if I asked what happened? I just find his personality so out of place after spending time with Esme and Dr. Cullen." Edward's face turned hard and it make Jake instantly regret his request.

"I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."

"No it's ok. It's just a touchy subject for all of us..." He sighed but then he continued. "Our sister Rosalie was raped when she was a teenager by Jasper's best friend, Royce and some of his buddies. Jasper caught them and he went after them by himself. He got them pretty good but there were four of them and he was only one. That's why he has those scars on his face and neck. I was in middle school when that happened but I still wish I could have been there to protect them. My brother and sister had a really hard time adjusting after that. We lived in Chicago so my parents decided that we needed to move to a small town instead. We have some family up in Alaska but one of my father's friends, Alister, had visited Forks on one of his quests to find solace, and suggested we move here. It was a small town, isolated, and exactly what we needed." Jake knew that this wasn't common knowledge so he had a feeling Edward had just trusted him with something big.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"I'm sorry too. Unfortunately, it seems to be a common theme in my family. Bella was also sent to Forks to live with Charlie after her friend's boyfriend attempted to attack her. Apparently, Victoria's boyfriend, James, loved to chase women down the dessert before he attacked them. Victoria would help him chose his victims by befriending the girls. If it wasn't for James's friend Laurent, she would have never known what they were planning."

"That's pretty scary. So how did Bella find out? What did Laurent do?"

"Laurent was younger and gullable which is why he did whatever James told him but Laurent knew Bella from school and he had a little crush on Bella even though she was older. Laurent took a big risk and told Bella and her mother about James plans. Renee decided to get her daughter out of Arizona ASAP so she sent her to Forks mid semester so that she would be safe from James. The problem was that James was a sadistic bastard and he followed her here."

"How did he know?"

"Bella doesn't really have any family other than her parents. Anybody that knew Bella, could have guessed that her mother sent her to Forks to her father. James certainly did but he mistakenly brought Laurent with him. Laurent was able to warn Bella again. I didn't know Bella at that time so I couldn't tell you what the hell went through that woman's mind but somehow she got it into her head that she was going to fight back. Bella came up with a plan that put her own life at risk so that the police could catch James and Victoria. She kept in touch with Victoria so that James wouldn't suspect Laurent was betraying them. On one of her emails to, she mentioned to Victoria that she enrolled in a dance studio and made a huge deal about how she was so clumsy that she stayed after everyone was gone to practice. James followed her there. As soon as James got there, Laurent called Charlie and told him where they were and what was happening. The studio had several cameras used to record the student's performances. That's how Charlie was able to arrest him and Victoria. Bella got James to confess on the video. They discovered several other victims of James, including Jasper's wife Alice. Alice, Laurent, and a few other girls testified and they were able to lock Victoria and James up for life." Jake looked at Edward in shock.

"That's incredible."

"I know. That was how we all met. Laurent, Alice, and Bella became close after everything was settled but Bella decided that she didn't want to go back to Arizona. So Alice's family sent her over to Forks to stay with Charlie and Bella. Alice's family are horrible people. They were actually happy to get rid of her and Charlie was happy to take her. Alice loved it here. She would force Bella to go out, dress up and actually socialize. Alice has a bit of a sixth sense about people and as soon as she met Rose a school party, she knew that Rose went through the same thing as she did. Rose don't have much in common with Bella or Alice but they all found strength in each other. Bella and Alice started sitting with Rose, Jasper and I at lunch. Alice really made herself at home at our table. Our lives changed after that. Bella was shy but she was the strongest of all of them. I knew Rose was hurting. We all did but we had no idea how to help her. I was very good at reading my sister's mind and Jasper was also very good at reading her but neither of us could get her to open up. I thought for sure Alice would get to her but Bella was the only one who was able to get Rose to talk about what happened. It was easier for Rose to talk so someone who had gone through something similar. The three of them became very close after that." They were both silent for a while as Edward thought back to that time. He was proud of all his girls. Rose and Bella became close but they didn't become sisters until Bella got pregnant. He was still embarrassed that he asked Bella to get an abortion after they learned about her life threatening condition. Rose was Bella's fiercest advocate and he was glad she fought for their daughter. Nessie became their miracle. Nothing was more precious to Edward than his daughter. After Rose's own struggle with fertility, she adopted Benjamin from Egypt but, after finishing school, Edward helped her and Emmett get pregnant with Riley so he finally was able to repay his sister. Jake was also lost in his own thoughts digesting everything Edward told him.

"And it almost happened again with..." Jake couldn't finish his thought. His Ness almost had the same thing that her aunt and mother went though, happen to her. What would that have done to his girl and her family? His hand turned to a fist involuntarily.

"You have no idea how grateful I am to you for what you did for my daughter. Bella and I love our daughter more than our own lives. As parent's you ask God to take care of your child protect her from all those horrible. You don't know how much I wished it would have happened to me instead of my girls. The thought that my precious baby could go through that..." Edward shuttered and so did Jake. "We're all so relieved you got to her on time. I felt so guilty that I wasn't able to protect her myself. I was willing to do anything to keep her safe." Edward told him.

"That's why you took her out of the school so quickly and moved away from the town."

"Yes. We weren't going to run that risk with her again. I'm sorry to say this, but we meant to keep her away from Forks and everyone in it. We thought that it would be better for her if she was in a new town, like nothing happened. Especially me. I wanted to keep her away from anything that reminded her of that event just like my parents did for my sister. I was ready to move out of the state if I had to but Bella convinced me to stay. Her grandparents lived in Forks and she knew from experience that what Nessie needed was the love of her family. She was right of course. Nessie wasn't even affected by what happened, not really. She's a very strong girl. She adjusts well to difficult situations. She's a lot like her mother that way."

"So are they all ok now? Like Ness?"

"Rose never really got over it until she met Emmett. Emmett was protective, playful, and completely worshiped her which was exactly what she needed. Emmett has always been a bit of a goofball so he brought a lot of light and laughter into Rosie's life. They were both models so they got along very well. Alice was afraid for a long time but after James was arrested, she slowly became the chipper, bubbly, little pixie we all know and love. I think that being away from her family really helped her too. Alice and I were closer I age so we became close friends, especially after the others graduated and we were the only two left in our little group. But, she too graduated and left me behind. I was the last one to graduate but after I graduated high school, I moved to Seattle to go to school and to live with Bella and our baby. Alice also moved in with us. She assigned herself as our official babysitter and she just made herself comfortable in our lives. I didn't mind though. By then Alice had become like another sister. Alice and Jasper got to really know one another while we all were in college. She married Jasper when they finished college and then they had Peter."

"I'm glad they all got their happy ending."

"Alice is not one to dwell in the darkness. Rosalie took some time but she's truly happy. Plus, friendship can be very healing. Bella helped both girls out a lot. They both really admired her strength and bravery as did I. That's why I fell in love with her."

"That's incredible. I can't believe I never heard of this."

"It was before your time."

"I always knew Bella was an amazing woman but I think I'm starting to see her in a whole new light. Its no wonder, why Ness is so amazing." He thought back at how brave his little protector was when she went over to the police station so defend him after she saw Mike and the police mistreat him. Edward nodded at his statement in agreement.

"Nessie is so much like her. Bella is an amazing mother. I'm so lucky she let me into her life. It took some convincing though."

"Really? I would have never thought that."

"I was her best friend's little brother so Bella didn't give me the time of day even though I was very sure she felt the same way. Bella is a suborn woman. Nessie also got that from her, so be prepared. After Alice graduated, she went back to Arizona to visit her family and Bella moved back home for the summer and worked for my dad. That's when I really started to hit on her but she wouldn't give me the time of day. I got so upset that I left for Alaska to spend the rest of the summer with my relatives and I didn't come back until my senior year. She was still working at my dad's office when I came back. I finally had enough confidence to charm and dazzle my way into her heart. Either that or she was guilty causing me to go to Alaska. We spent almost every weekend together and then, lite a month before I graduated, she got pregnant with Nessie. Of course, I asked her to marry me when I found out but I had every intention of marrying that woman regardless. I now that I had her I wasn't letting her get away." Edward smiled at the memory. Jake chucked.

"I'm glad things worked out for you guys. A lot of people that get married right out of high school don't make it."

"Relationships are hard work. Bella and I have our disagreements, just like any other couple, but we work at it together. We make decisions together and we find time for each other. That's why it worked for us."

"Thanks for telling me all this. I guess I'm family now, huh?" Jake joked.

"You sure are. I'm glad she has you, Jacob. I'm happy you both found each other again."

"So should I call you 'Dad' now?" Jake joked and felt bit embarrassed once he realized what he was saying.

"No." Edward said sternly, making Jake feel even worse. Edward eyed him, and finally took pity on him. He laughed to let him know he was teasing. "Not yet, son. But hopefully soon." Edward amended, making Jake feel better. Both men smiled knowing what just happened between them. Someday Jake would ask Edward for his daughter's hand and that day Edward would say yes. It was all smooth driving from there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Jake and Ness both felt like their lives had finally begun now that they had each other. They were living in bliss. Everything was falling into place. Their families had accepted their relationship, they were getting along great, and neither of them had ever felt as happy as they were for those beautiful five months. The only cloud over their bright future was John Hopkins.

Now that she was settled into her community, Ness was even more uncertain about the idea of going to Maryland to do her specialization. Jake had a good feeling that he was part of that reason. He felt guilty because Jake knew how much she loved surgery and he heard from everyone in her family about how talented she truly was. He hated that he was holding her back because he knew how hard she worked for that opportunity.

One afternoon, Ness received a phone call from Dr. Aro Volturi himself, the world famous Italian brain surgeon at John Hopkins who had witnessed one of Ness's surgeries. He was obsessed with her from the moment he saw her gift. He was the one who called her a surgical prodigy and he simply had to have her join his practice. Aro had a very prominent practice with his brother-in-law Marcus and their mutual friend Caius. Their students jokingly called them the Volturi brothers because they were always together. All three brothers were incredibly talented and they became known for their ability to collect and harvest gifted young doctors. All the doctors they took under their wing became famous and this only added to their power in the medical community. Ness had met them through her grandfather Carlisle, who went to school with all three. Ness knew that joining their surgical team was an amazing opportunity but now that she had Jake, their offer became less and less attractive.

Aro had heard of Ness's relationship with Jake from her grandfather so he asked both of them to fly to Maryland to visit the town and the hospital. Once he had them within his grasp, he was relentless with his pursuit. He even had them stay in his large estate so that it was easier for him to woo them into moving to Maryland. Aro's wife was an exceptional hostess. She made sure that their every need was cared for. Jake and Ness toured the town, the hospital, as well as the many medical and educational facilities Ness would have access to. All three brothers spent a few days 'courting' Ness into joining their team while the wives courted both Jake and Ness into moving to Maryland. After the last day of tours, shows, and fancy dinners, they were at the balcony looking out to the beautiful pool area of the Volturi mansion.

"This town is pretty cool. There's lots of things to do here and the hospital is incredible. I mean, it would be an amazing opportunity for you." Jake told her.

"I know. It's just a lot to take in. Aro is pretty intense and working with him will mean long hours. I would barely have time to call you, let alone fly to Washington."

"So what if I move here." He offered.

"Jake… I can't ask you to do that. What about your dad, the tribe, and the garage? You have too many people who count on you back home." She knew how much his tribe loved Jake. She would feel awful if he left them.

"My dad has both Rachel and Paul to take care of him and the tribe is open minded enough to let Rachel take over as Chief. She _is_ older than me, so technically it should be her responsibility anyways. The only reason why I took the job was because she was gone and I was available to do it. As for the garage, I'm very sure the guys can handle the shop while I'm gone. I can get a mechanic job over here and, in the long run, if you want to stay here I can sell the shop to one of the guys. Maybe start up another shop here. I did it once, I can do it again." She looked at him tenderly.

"You would do that for me?" She asked him. Jake took her hand and looked straight into her eyes.

"I would do anything for you." He kissed her hand and she moved closer to kiss her lips. In reality he loved being chief but he loved Ness even more. He wanted her to have this opportunity in the worse way. He didn't want to be the reason why she didn't get it.

"And I love you for that but I still don't know. A neurosurgeon's life is hard. Late nights, emergency surgeries, phone calls at all hours of the day and night, 12-18 hour days, working weekends. I wouldn't have much time for you. And I mean, what about when we have kids? I want to be there for birthdays and dance recitals. You met Aro's twins! Big house, great luxuries, but no father around is probably why those kids are like that. Jane is a bitch that enjoys hurting her mother with the things she says and does, Alec just looks like he's in a constant stoner fog. The boy is not even there. That hazy glazed over look he had is downright scary! And the oldest daughter, Renata, is just as bad. Did you notice how she diverted Sulpicia and Aro from the fact that she's gotten home drunk twice this week? She's so sneaky!" Ness told him disgusted. Aro's family left as strong impression as the program at John Hopkins did.

"Yea and the other one, Caius, had the two boys what were already juvenile delinquents. What were their names?" Jake asked her confused by which boy was which.

"Demetri and Felix. Demitri is the one who already has restraining order for stalking one of his teachers all over the state and Felix is the one who got kicked out of school for almost beating another student to death." Ness shook her head in disappointment. "I still can't believe Sulpicia told us those things about Caius sons."

"I know. As if her kids were any better, maybe that's were Renata gets her ability to divert attention." Jake was also taken aback by everything Aro's wife revealed to him. She was a very accommodating hostess but she was also a true gossip.

"It probably is." Ness said sadly.

"It looks like Marcus is the only one with normal children. Heidi was very well behaved and adorable." Jake said thinking back to the cute little girl he met a few nights ago when it was Marcus's turn to take them out to dinner. He was the only one that both Jake and Ness actually liked.

"I know!" Ness said smiling. "You can't help but feel attracted to her. She was such a little charmer."

"See. We could have normal kids." They were both leaning against the rail next to one another so he bumped his hip against hers effectively causing her to smile.

"She's normal because his first wife died and he waited until he was more settled in his carrier to marry Chelsea. He picked a pretty one too. She's young and gave him a baby now that he's at an age where he can slow down his career to take care of them." She sighed and her smile was gone again. "I won't have that luxury. I want my kids to have the life I had. One where both parents were present. I just don't think I could be a good mother and the super surgeon they are all expecting me to be. I don't know Jake, I just don't think its for me. I have other things that are more important to me." She said in a somber tone. He had a feeling he had lost the battle after hearing what she said and he didn't know how to make it better. She had been like that since they talked to Marcus and his wife.

Their dinner with Marcus and his family had been enlightening for both Jake and Ness. Marcus was very observant and he could tell how much Jake and Ness loved each other. He treated Jake as if he already were Ness's husband and he made sure to make Jake feel welcome. His wife Chelsea was a psychologist so she was very good at making you feel at ease to the point that you felt attached to her. She got both Jake and Ness so comfortable that they were able to talk about their personal concerns so that she could orient them. Chelsea and Marcus were both very open to talk to them about the ups and downs of married life and high profile surgical medicine. Their talk really had Ness wondering if a surgeon's life was what she really wanted. The problem was that she was too talented not to try to make it work.

Jake looked at his worried girlfriend and put his arms around her waist from behind her. He rested his chin on her shoulder after he kissed it. As much as she said she had other priorities, Jake could see that it made her sad to leave this dream behind. He didn't know what to do to take that sad look off her face that was breaking his heart.

"Whatever you decide. I'll support you. You won't be doing any of this alone." Ness turned in his arms to face him and her rested arms around his neck.

"I love you." She told him as she looked into his eyes.

"I love you too." He told her and kissed her lips softly.

After Ness went to bed, Jake couldn't sleep. He was torn as to how to help Ness make this decision. He wanted this life for her. When he took that tour of the hospital, he saw the look in her eyes and Jake realized that if they weren't together, Ness would be in that hospital. He saw how easily she belonged there. He also saw how some of the other residents whispered to each other when they heard who she was. It was so obvious that she belonged there and it was also obvious that he was the reason she was hesitating. He hated it. He hated that he was the one who was making this choice difficult for her, that he was holding her back.

Jake wanted a life with Ness more than anything. He wanted all the things that she wanted, kids, a life together, but he refused to hold her back from her dream. He was willing to move to Maryland to make sure that she could have it all but, after the conversation he has with Marcus, he was a little scared of this life. He didn't know if Ness really meant it when she said that she didn't think this was the life for her or if she was just afraid, but he felt relieved. His relief shamed him because he knew it was selfish and he knew could never be selfish when it came to what was best for Ness.

Nevertheless, Jake was tormented. He kept thinking about the type of life they would have if Ness became a world famous surgeon like the Volturi brothers. Would he have to stop working to take care of their kids? He didn't like that idea but he already knew he would do it for her. Would they have to plan out their time together, like conjugal visits? He shook his head. 'That's ridiculous.' He thought. He went outside to the pool area and got a beer from the outdoor refrigerator. He sat on one of the lounge chairs by the deck and saw Jane sneaking out. She saw him and gave him a hateful look that made him feel uncomfortable, before she got over the fence. By the time he got his second beer someone came outside.

"Dr. Volturi, is that you?" Jake asked.

"Yes. I just got in and I wondered who was out here. How are you Jacob?"

"I'm good. Ness is asleep so I thought I would grab a beer. I hope you don't mind. Your wife said it was ok."

"Of course I don't mind! You are my guest. Have as many as you like." He said and sat on the chair next to Jake's with a beer of his own.

"Thanks."

"Did you enjoy your tours?" Aro asked hopeful. Jake knew the doctor was trying hard to get Ness to agree to join his team.

"Yes. I don't know much about medicine but I am very impressed." He told him honestly.

"We have a fine program. The best in the country. You should know that I don't go through all this trouble for just anyone. I heard about Nessie from her grandfather Carlisle. He was always been the family type, always bragging about his kids. Edward showed a lot of potential too but he had Nessie and well… You know how that goes. It's hard to live up to your full potential with kids to take care of."

"I think he did pretty well for himself." Jake defensively, visibly bothered by the doctor's words.

"Oh of course! Forgive me, what I meant was that he did beautifully under the circumstances but he had potential for so much more. Edward is also very gifted. It's no wonder that Nessie is such a natural in the surgical room. I dare say she has magic hands. She's amazing to watch and at such a young age! I wish I had half her talent. She will save so many lives." Jake nodded. He had never seen Ness in the surgical room but he remembered how quickly and painlessly she had stitched him up that day at the hospital. You couldn't even see the scar. Even if he didn't have that as proof, he's always known that Ness was amazing and that she was meant for greatness.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Jake really didn't feel comfortable with Aro but, since they were leaving in the morning, Aro was his only option. Plus, he wanted to get another doctor's perspective to compare it to what Marcus described the previous night.

"Of course!" Aro said in that fake cheerfulness that annoyed Jake. He had a gleam in his eyes that make Jake a bit uncomfortable.

"What will life be like for us? I mean, I don't want to offend you, but its Friday, after midnight and you just got home."

"Yes. I see your concern. Well Jacob, it's not an easy life. It's very different from the life most people are used to. My wife and I are partners. I take care of things outside the home and she takes care of things in it. We don't see each other as often as we like but we make it work. We have three beautiful kids and a beautiful home. It's a different life but it doesn't mean that it's a bad one."

"I just don't know if that's the type of life we want to have. I love her. I want her to have it all but I don't think either of us is going to be happy with that arrangement." Aro smiled and nodded patiently as Jake spoke. Aro knew Jake was trouble from the first moment he saw them together. He was very observant during their interactions and used his intel to calculate his next words.

"That's understandable but you must also understand that Nessie has a gift, Jake. That's not something you can just ignore either. My brothers and I went to Seattle to personally oversee the surgery Nessie conducted, which is something that we have never done before. I was actually there in the surgical room with her. Normally residents do not conduct difficult surgeries but Nessie had already built up a reputation so the medical director allowed it. This is why I was in the surgical room with her, in case there was a complication. It was a very complicated surgery, there was a complication and I have to admit that if it was me in the surgical room, I don't think I would have been able to save this man's life. Nessie quickly took control of the situation and saved her patient's life. I think every doctor in that room was shocked but she did it. A resident! Like I said, the girl has magical hands. She's gifted."

"I know." Jacob said sadly. He took another sip of his beer and looked at the doctor. "Even if we try to make it work, I don't think Ness will be ok with me raising the kids and her missing out on their lives." He told him honestly. He just didn't know how to get her agree to that type of lifestyle or if he really wanted that himself.

"You don't have to have kids right away do you? You can wait until she is more established. Like Marcus."

"I don't think she wants to wait."

"Ah. Young love is always hasty." Aro nodded. He took a moment to calculate again. "May I be blunt with you son?" Aro asked him with that look that made Jake uncomfortable. It was almost a condescending look but it was also evil. Like the looks Jane gave her parents.

"Sure?" Aro's expression became pleased.

"I have met Nessie a few times when she was a child. I know her family very well so I have a pretty good idea of the type of stock she comes from. A surgeon's life and a surgeon's family is very different from what she is used to. For most people, that is very scary but for Nessie, I am sure it must be terrifying because the life that I am offering her is too different from the life she grew up in. Her life at home is a good option for her too but I fear that after a few years she will regret not fulfilling her full potential." Jake watched the doctor's expression change and for a moment he thought Aro looked vulnerable which made Jake wonder where he was going with this. "Regret is a powerful thing. I lost my sister Didyme to regret. She was such a happy lovely girl. Everyone loved her, especially Marcus. She was the light of his life. In my sister's case, the one thing she had dreamed since she was a girl was becoming an artist. My sister was incredibly talented. One could stair into her paintings and actually _feel_ her happiness. Didyme put her talents on hold when Marcus and I decided to open the practice. Marcus really focused on his work and he didn't see how my sister had changed. Even her art had changed and eventually she stopped doing her art. A few years later, her hands became shaky. My sister started showing signs of early Parkinson's disease. She was young and her outlook was good but she was already struggling with depression prior to her diagnosis. The fact that she could no longer hold a paint brush didn't help the situation. She took her life shortly after her diagnosis." Aro held a sadness and remorse that seemed genuine.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Jake didn't really like Aro but seeing him so vulnerable made him feel sorry for him. The entire time he had been in Maryland Aro seemed like a sleazy salesman. It was the first time that he saw the doctor look like a real person.

"Thank you. I wasn't trying to bring you down and I certainly don't think Nessie is anything like my mentally ill sister. The reason I tell you this is because I like Nessie. Her grandfather told me she has been dreaming of becoming a surgeon for a long time and her gift is one of a kind. I can see that you love her and are willing to make it work but she will not take the first step if she is comfortable with her life at home. It's safe, it's all she knows. It will take something drastic for her to choose to leave that life for something so different from what she is used to." He said. That same evil gleam from before came back for a second before his expression turned innocent.

"What are you suggesting?" Jake asked him warily. He started to get a bad feeling from him again.

"I know you love her son and believe me when I say that I would never suggest this if it were anyone else, but she is simply that talented. If I were you, I would let her go. Break up with her. Don't leave her something to hold on to in Washington. After she's here, come find her and reconcile. If she loves you as much as I've seen that she does, she'll take you back." Jake's eyes widened.

"I can't do that! Its so… so, wrong. I can't manipulate her like that." He said disgusted. Aro's eyes turned as innocent and defenseless as a mouse. Jake wondered if this man had some kind of personality disorder.

"Again, I would not suggest this if it were anyone else. I like Nessie a lot. Carlisle is one of my dearest friends and I wouldn't wish harm on any of his children or grandchildren but Nessie has a gift that most of us only dream of. With the right training, she will be able to do things that no one else can, she will save lives that no one else would be able to save. You're a good man, a smart man. You know that the main reasons for her uncertainly about becoming a neurosurgeon is her relationship with you. She loves you son. Do the right thing and let her go. Let her become who she needs to be. Let her overcome her fears so that she can see that she has the ability to do this and then come after her. Once she is here, she will realize that she _can_ do this after all and that you fit into this life just as well as she does. In the end, you will still be with her and she will appreciate you for giving her this opportunity." Aro got up from his chair and patted Jake's shoulder. "I know that you will do right by Nessie." He told him with a smile before he went back inside the house.

Jake sat there for a long time, stunned. Aro had just fed into Jake's one insecurity about his relationship with Ness. That he was not good enough for her, that he was her crutch, and that she would be better off without him. This was a deep insecurity for Jake. It was as if Aro read it out if Jake's deepest thoughts. He did a good job at hiding it but he felt this insecurity even more after seeing all the opportunities she could have. He thought he could give this opportunity to her by offering to move with her but, after their conversation at the balcony, he knew she wouldn't go. Aro was right about Ness. She was afraid. The right thing to do for Ness was to let her go but Jake didn't know how until that Aro gave him the way out. Could he really do something like that to the woman he loved? Then again, could he let the woman he loved give up the life she was meant to have? Jake was stuck between two completely different possibilities and had no idea what to do. 'What was the right thing to do?' he thought miserably.


	8. Chapter 8

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Jake felt sick to his stomach about his conversation with Aro. He went back to the guest house and fell asleep on the couch after another beer. On the flight home, he was unusually quiet and Ness was worried about his sudden change in mood. Jake laughed it off when she asked but he thought a lot about everything Aro told him. In fact, it was all he could think about. He didn't like Aro from the moment he met him but now he despised him. As sorry as he felt about Aro's sister, Jake hated Aro for putting his breakup scheme to in his mind. His suggestion was conniving but it was also brilliant. There was no doubt in his Jake's mind that it would work but it would also hurt the woman he loved most.

Jake knew Aro was right about one thing. Ness deserved this chance. She was too talented for a small town office in the middle of nowhere. They could work out the other stuff but she needed to go to Maryland to get trained. Unfortunately, Aro was also right about Ness's willingness to leave Forks. She wouldn't go as long as she still had the option of staying in Forks with him and their families. He needed to make Forks the last place on earth she wanted to be in. When he got to the shop he talked to Embry, Quill and Paul to get their opinion. All three men were shocked but what he told them.

"That is the most despicable thing I have ever heard! How can you even consider doing that to her?" Quill looked at his friend as if he didn't even know him.

"She deserves this shot. You should have seen this hospital. Ness could do so much good there. She's too talented. The way those doctors described it was like she had a gift from God. I don't want her to waste her talent because of me."

"I don't know man. This doesn't seem right. What would you even tell her? Ness knows how much you love her she's not going to believe that you just want to break up out of the blue." Embry reminded him. Jake hadn't really thought about that.

"I'll tell her I'm not sure of my feelings anymore. I don't know. I'll come up with something." It had to be something believable. Something she wouldn't try to fix.

"I don't think this is a good idea. I mean, this idea is so fucking high school! Just tell her you want her to go over there! Don't give her the option to say no." Paul suggested with annoyance. He didn't understand why Jake couldn't just be honest with her.

"She won't go man. I know my girl. We talked about it in Maryland, I know she won't do it. She's scared of type of lifestyle that comes along with being a surgeon. I'm scared too but I know, in my heart, she will be amazing. I have to give her this chance."

"What if she doesn't take you back?" Paul asked irritated. Jake looked at his brother-in-law with a stubborn look that made Paul sorry for asking him that. Jake was always pig headed when threatened.

"I love her! That's just a risk I have to take!" Jake said obstinately.

"You dumb shit! This is an incredibly stupid, manipulating idea and I can't believe _you_, of all people, are even considering hurting your girl like that!" Quill yelled and he stormed out. Paul looked at their friend impressed as he slammed the door to the office. It was usually Paul who threw the temper tantrums but married life had tamed him.

They all really liked Ness. She was the best thing that ever happened to Jake. All of them had seen Jake blossom after he met her. Jake was the happiest he had ever been and none of his friends wanted Jake to lose her. They were upset with Jake but they didn't know what to do.

Jake thought long and hard that night but his decision was made. He wanted her to have this. He always knew that she deserved better than him and he refused to be the reason she didn't become the amazing surgeon she was meant to be.

Jake was distant with her all that week. He still wasn't sure how he was going to break up with her or if he would even survive the break up. That Sunday, after having dinner with her family they went for a walk in the nearby forest before it got dark.

"I know that I sound like a broken record by now but are you sure you're ok?" Jake looked at her worried eyes. He realized that there was never going to be a right time for this and he had to stop stalling. He had to do it now before he lost his nerve. He went over the excuses he had come up with and he chose the last lie he had devised for the dreaded occasion. He felt his stomach churn before he even opened his mouth to tell her.

"Ness. There is something I need to tell you but I just don't know how to say it." He said truthfully.

"What? You can tell me anything." She told him softly. Jake gulped down the bile that rose in his throat and he began.

"I was thinking about John Hopkins. I know what I promised you before in Maryland but after we got back from Maryland I started to consider actually leaving everything and moving in together… Well... it made me think about the idea of marriage since we would be together over there, on our own."

"Yes?" She said expectantly and he realized she was getting the wrong impression. He was making it sound like a proposal. He cursed himself for putting it in those words.

"No, Ness. It's not like that. I… I love being with you. These past few months have been amazing but I don't think I want to marry you. I thought I did but when I started to really consider it I just, I don't think I want to get married." Ness's face turned pale right before his eyes. Her eyes swam in unshed tears and he felt a pain in his chest that was unlike anything he ever felt before when he saw the pain he was causing her.

"You don't want to marry me?" A few tears dropped as she asked this.

"I really thought I did. You have to believe me. When said I loved you I really thought I did but when I was faced with reality. I just. I don't want to marry you. I don't think I want to get married, period. All this week, I kept waiting for that feeling to go away but the more time I've spent with you this week the more I realize that I just don't want that it. I'm sorry." She looked like he had just slapped her in the face. Her sob came out in a gasp as if she was out of breath.

"I don't want to string you along Ness. Leah did that to me when all along she knew she could never love me. I can't do that to you. I rather we break up now I know that I don't want this. I mean, we're only been together for five months. It's crazy to think that we can just start a married life after five months, right?" Ness looked up at him like she didn't recognize him. She ripped her hands out of his.

"I can't believe you are doing this to me. We were planning a life together a week ago! What? What?" She started crying. Ness felt as if someone had shot her in the stomach. She sobbed and held on to her torso as if she was trying to keep her body from falling apart. Unable to look at him, she looked at the ground, her whole body shaking from her sobs. Jake saw her and had to fight the urge to take her in his arms because he knew it would only make things worse. He hadn't realized how much it would hurt him to see her like this.

"I'm so sorry Ness." He was crying too. He cried the tears of a man whose heart was breaking for the woman he loved. Ness lifted her head to look at him and her eyes shocked him. They were completely distraught and empty. He had never seen this look on her before and his hand automatically reached out to hold her. She quickly and forcefully gripped his arm to stop him, creating a loud slap that seemed to echo against the trees. The hard contact of skin against skin stunned him but it had nothing to do with the force of the slap. It was the look of pain and desolation that accompanied it.

Jake was in turmoil. He could feel her pain as if the pain she had projected it out of her hands and onto him when she grabbed him. With that one action, he had seen all the visions weddings and black haired children with curls flash before his eyes and then instantly disappear into darkness when she withdrew her hand. In that moment, he felt like he lost her and the pain he felt was so sharp he thought he would collapse onto the ground. She shook her head angrily before she turned away from him and went home.

Jake was stunned by what happened and by the pain he felt. 'I had to do it.' He told himself. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake that shattered look she gave him out of his mind. Even though he felt he had to do this, he never thought it would be like this. He never thought that he would really loose her so he had not been prepared for the intensity of the pain. He was disgusted with himself for what he did. How could he had done this? How could he justify putting that look in those beautiful soulful eyes he adored? How could he ever go back to her after that? He thought this over and over unable to find the answer. His self-hatred seeped in at that moment. As much as he did not want to loose her, he realized she deserved better than a man who could hurt her like that.

Jake stayed in the same spot for a long time. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe. It looked like late afternoon by the time he finally was able to get up and walk. He walked back to the drive way and got into his car. It still smelled like her and he felt a sharp pain on his chest all over again. He drove home, knowing life would never be the same for him because his heart was still back in that forest.

Ness was practically crawling by the time she arrived at her parent's house. She knew she was having a panic attack but she didn't care enough to stop it. Edward and Bella came rushing to the front door when they heard the loud sobs. Edward immediately took action as his daughter collapsed into his arms sobbing, the last thing he thought was that Jake broke his daughter's heart. Ness's parents were shocked and furious when she was finally able to explain. Edward saw Jake's car was still parked in the driveway. He wanted to go talk to Jake but Ness got another panic attack and Bella wouldn't let him leave the house. Edward couldn't believe that Jake broke up with her. He was so sure that Jake would ask his daughter to marry him. He was so damn sure! But in the end, Edward escorted his heartbroken daughter to Maryland without the man she loved.

Ness cried herself to sleep for almost a month, right up to the time she moved to Maryland and Edward was well aware of it. He had never felt so scared to leave his shell of a daughter on her own before. He didn't know how he managed to get in the plane but somehow he was back at Forks. He was worried sick but his daughter kept insisting she was doing better. He suspected she was lying to him and about six weeks later, he got a phone call from Marcus confirming his suspicions.

"Marcus? How are you? How's the family?"

"Family is good, thank you for asking."

"And Nessie? How is she doing with Aro's mentoring?"

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Nessie's performance and professionalism in the hospital is impeccable but she is unwell. I do not mean to overstep my boundaries by calling you but Chelsea and I are worried about her. You know, Chelsea is a therapist and she is very good at making people feel comfortable enough to talk. She took Nessie to lunch and now she also became concerned about Nessie. She just seems so… _unhappy_." Marcus said nervously. He was worried he was offending his friend's son but too concerned for Nessie to ignore her condition any longer. "She looks pale, malnourished, and she doesn't smile anymore. I've only met her a few times in the past but I remember she was always such a charismatic happy girl. Always smiling, like my Didy had been before she... Well, that is why I like Nessie so much. It scares me to see her like this." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a sudden migraine hit him along with an overwhelming worry.

"She broke up with her boyfriend a couple of months ago. She was pretty upset. We were all expecting a proposal, not a break up."

"I was surprised to see her here without him. They seemed so in love when I met them. Even though she is very skilled and is performing beautifully in the surgical room, as a friend, I worry her heart is in this anymore. Aro and Caius are good doctors but they are lousy this sort of thing. They haven't noticed how unhappy she is. Frankly it's not their place to notice these things but Carlisle is a good friend and after everything I went through with Didy, I simply cannot ignore this. I know he would want me to watch out for her and I think she needs help, Edward." Marcus tried to explain the reason for his intrusion hopping Edward would not take offense by it.

"Thank you Marcus. Her mother and I suspected as much but we had no idea about the extent. I will make arrangements to visit her as soon as possible. Maybe if she has family there things will turn around."

"I think that would be an excellent idea. I think family might be just what she needs. I have already talked to Aro to cut back her hours a bit as well."

"Thank you so much for looking out for my daughter Marcus. You're a true friend."

"It's my pleasure. Nessie is a good girl. Please let me know if there is anything Chelsea or I can do on our part."

"I will. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Edward hung up his cell phone and told his secretary to move his last two patients to his father's caseload. Edward had enough of this nonsense. He was furious and consumed with worry so he drove straight to Jake's garage to talk to him. Well, to yell at him.

"Jacob! Where the fuck is he?" Edward said steaming. Quill and Embry looked at the doctor in shock. He had never seen or heard Edward be cross with anyone. But both men knew why Edward was so upset.

"He's not here. He's been late or leaving early to go drink himself into a coma. I've never seen him like this before." Embry told the angry doctor.

"Why the hell is he acting like a martyr when he's the one who broke my daughter's heart?!" Edward asked angrily. Just then, another car drove into the garage. Embry nodded at Quill and Quill signaled Edward to follow him to the office while Embry took care of the customer. They entered the room and Quill closed the door behind them to continue their conversation.

"I can tell you but you're not going to like it." Edward looked at him annoyed. Both men sat down and Quill told Edward everything he knew.

"That manipulative idiot!"

"Yeah. That's what I told him."

"I can't believe Aro would suggest a thing like that. Who the hell does he think he is?!"

"Jake said that Aro suggested this stupid plan because Ness is _that_ good. He told Jake that Ness would save lives that no one else could." Edward nodded.

"She _is_ extremely talented but it should be her decision. Jake shouldn't have manipulated her like that. And Aro should have never suggested such an idiotic plan!" Edward was furious with Aro even though he really shouldn't have been so surprised.

Aro was an amazing doctor but he would also stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Aro wanted Marcus talents for his new practice so he manipulated him and his sister into helping with the practice. He completely monopolized their lives so that together, along with Caius, they built themselves the most prominent surgical program in the country. Then when Didyme started showing signs of depression, Aro convinced Marcus that it was all in his head to keep Marcus focused on the practice instead of his sister. His ambition blinded him to his sister's mental illness and physical illness. Three prominent doctors and neither of the brothers noticed what was happening until it was too late. It was Carlisle who first diagnosed Didyme's Parkinson during one of his visits to his old friends. Carlisle was very disappointed at their oversight and he knew it was Aro's obsession with work that caused him and Marcus to miss his own sister's obvious symptoms. Marcus never blamed Aro for Didyme's death but Carlisle suspected that is was Didyme's severe depression that triggered the Parkinson at such a young age. Of course, Carlisle never had the heart to tell his friend this. He was there for both Marcus and Aro. Both men were incredibly grateful to Carlisle. Its no surprise that Marcus called with such worry.

"We all told him not to do it but he loves her." Quill explained, taking Edward out of his train of thoughts. "He wanted what was best for her and he believed, she could do better than being a mechanic's wife and wasting her talents in a small town office. I don't agree with it but that's where he was coming from. I thinks it's why he hasn't gone after her yet. He saw how much he hurt her and now he really doesn't feel like he deserves her anymore. I don't think he ever thought he deserved her."

"Frankly I am starting to think he doesn't either." Edward said angrily.

"He loves her Dr. Cullen. He made a mistake. You know Jake is a good man and that he would do _anything_ for your daughter." Quill reminded him. He saw the doctor calm down a bit.

"I know... I know he was just trying to give her what he thought she wanted. I thought she wanted Maryland too. I am ashamed to say that I was worried that she would never go to Maryland when she started getting serious with Jake. She was happy here and so was Jake but I still wanted her to go. Just not like this."

"Jake would have gone with her if she wanted to go but she didn't. Everyone with eyes can see that Ness loves it here. Look at how quickly she became a part of the family and the tribe." Quill told him. Ness became a part of the tribe when she offered free services to members of the tribe without healthcare. The entire community was quickly starting to love her.

"I know." Edward lowed his head in shame. "I'm the one who kept pushing her. I should have let it go but I didn't want her to give up her gift. I should have known that it was not the life she wanted. Ness flirted with the idea of neurosurgery because she is truly talented but she's always wanted to come into the family practice. That was her real dream. Jacob was her dream."

"Ness was his dream too." Quill confessed to the doctor.

"I can see that. Jake was never really happy with that Leah girl and after what happened with Nessie's ex, Jake was definitely a step in the right direction for her too. They were both _finally_ happy and that should have been enough to satisfy me." Edward thought over all those conversation he had with his daughter. He kept trying to convince her to go and he never realized that it wasn't what she really wanted. He was just as responsible as Aro. He had ruined his daughter's happiness and Jake's.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Quill asked when he saw the doctor's regretful expression.

"I'm going to talk to Jacob and he is marching his ass straight over there and telling my daughter the truth, even if I have to take him myself."

"Good. I'll go with you. Jake left about an hour ago so hopefully he's not too trashed." Quill told him.

Quill and Edward both found Jake at home drinking. He was sitting on his couch looking at a small box in his hand. He hadn't even looked at them when the two men walked into his apartment. As angry as Edward had been, all his anger drained away when he saw the broken man in front of him. Edward truly cared about Jake and he hated seeing him like that. They sat down in his small living room as Jake took another sip, directly from the vodka bottle. Edward sat on the coffee table directly in front of him.

"Was that ring meant for my daughter?" Edward asked him. Jake nodded. He lifted his hand to take another sip of his vodka but Edward took the bottle from his hand and set it on the table next to him.

"I think you had enough, son."

"You sound exactly like my dad." Jake chuckled humorlessly. "We're not family anymore, doc. So give me my bottle and get out." Edward could see that he was drunk so he was going to have to be very patient.

"We _are_ family. Heck, were almost exactly alike. We both pushed Nessie into doing something that she didn't want. She's not happy son and I'm _really_ worried about her. We were both wrong about what she wanted. She needs you." Jake looked at the man that was going to be his father-in-law. He looked at Quill who was sitting quietly on his sofa. He realized Quill told Edward what he did.

"How can I go after her after what I did?" Jake's voice was pained and angry, it was almost shocking to Edward. He had never seen anyone so broken.

"You've always been an honorable man, Jake. I know you thought you were doing right by her, but hurting someone you love is _never_ the right thing." Edward knew from experience that hurting the woman he loved was a mistake. He almost made that mistake by insisting that Bella get an abortion after they discovered her condition. He shuttered at the thought of a life without his little girl. What a horrible choice that would have been! He took the ring box and placed it in Jake's pocket. "I know that you feel guilty but I promise you that going after her and telling her the truth is the right thing to do for her. Go after her, bring my daughter back home where she belongs."

"You really think she'll forgive me?" Edward smiled at him kindly.

"My daughter is a righteous and wise young woman. Wiser than both of us together. You made a mistake Jake. We _all_ make mistakes. Once she sees how sorry you are and how much you really do love her she'll forgive you and hopefully, you both will forgive me too."

After their talk, Jake agreed to go to Maryland and Quill went with him for support. Jake went over what he wanted to say during the plane ride but Quill told him to just be honest and tell her the truth about what was in his heart. Quill was always an upfront guy and he valued people who were truthful and spoke their minds. With his heart and possibly his life on the line, Jake arrived at Maryland and set off to find the woman he loved.


	9. Chapter 9

**Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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When Ness told Claire she was dating Jake, Claire was ecstatic. She had heard about Jake for years so Claire knew that her best friend was in love with her knight in shining armor for a long time. Claire was mad at herself for not asking more about Jake's family because she could have introduced them years ago. She only met Jake once while he dated Ness but in that one meeting she realized that what those two shared the type of love that people wrote novels about. She was happy that her best friend finally found the man of her dreams.

Claire was in shock when she heard about the breakup. Claire couldn't believe that this could happen to her best friend. Ness deserved so much better than this. She made an effort to visit her friend every week before Ness moved to Maryland. She was furious with Jake when she saw her friend's empty desolate eyes. It was as if all the light had left her. Nessie threw herself into her work, making sure that her patients were well taken care of after she left, including her patients at the reservation, and then she left, leaving Claire and her entire family worried.

The phone calls Claire received from Ness over the weeks that followed had her frightened. She had never heard her friend sound so depressed. Claire even spoke to Bella about it but neither of them knew what to do other than go visit to try to cheer her up. Claire volunteered to stay with her for a few weeks and then Bella would take over if Claire thought it was necessary. She made the arrangements with her job and then she hopped on a plane to surprise her best friend. She was not prepared for what she found.

"Nessie?" Claire asked in horror when her friend answered the door. Nessie had lost weight. A lot of weight. Her eyes had dark circles as if she hadn't slept for weeks. She was pale and her hair lost most of its luster.

"Claire! What are you doing here?" Ness said with a fake enthusiasm that would have hurt Claire's feelings if she wasn't in such shock over her best friend's condition. Claire dropped her bag on the floor and took her best friend by her arms.

"Oh my God, Nessie! Why didn't you tell me?" She asked her friend with tears in her eyes. Ness saw her best friend's tears and immediately felt guilty and embarrassed. She knew she had allowed her condition to worsen but she just didn't have the energy to care. She felt her own tears of embarrassment roll down her cheeks as Claire held her in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. I just have a bit of anemia. I've been having a hard time keeping things down. I just haven't been eating well and my hormones are off." Ness knew she had all the symptoms of severe anemia, malnutrition, and depression. Her medical training alerted her to seek help but she just didn't feel like it.

"Sweetie you look terrible. I can't believe you let it get this bad!"

"I promise that I am fine. It's just the malnutrition. It's hard to eat regular meals with the hours I'm keeping and now my hormones are off because of it so I think that's why I can't keep anything down now."

"Ness. I'm sorry but how are you practicing like this? You look weak."

"I'm fine. You know that I would not risk someone's life like that. I just need to try to get strong again." Claire stroked away her friend's tears. She took her in her arms to give her another hug. Claire was glad that she won the battle with Bella over who would come to see Nessie first. She couldn't let Bella see her like this. It would break her mother's heart.

"Ok, then. Let's get some food in you, let's get some vitamins, fruits and veggies. Everything." She escorted Nessie to the table. Then she went to the kitchen to look in her fridge to whip something up for her but there was little to nothing there. She shook her head in disappointment.

"I haven't had a chance to get groceries this week." Ness explained when she saw her shaking her head. Claire sighed thinking that if she ever saw Jacob Black again, she would strangle him.

"Come on sweetie. Let's go eat out for some food and then I'll stop by the grocery store."

"It's late. I have an early shift tomorrow." Ness really wasn't worried about getting enough sleep because she could barely sleep from the nightmares but she didn't want to go out in public so she hoped her friend wouldn't make her go out.

"Its only 8 and trust me. I am making sure you get plenty of sleep but first food. I'll bring you back and I'll just go to the grocery store on my own."

"I can't let you do that. You just got here." She said feeling guilty.

"Let me?! And who the hell is going to stop me? I could kick your butt before you looked like a twig so don't test me woman!" She told her smiling, trying to make her laugh. Nessie smiled but it didn't feel right on her face. Claire could tell and she sighed sadly.

"Ok. Let's go." Claire said taking her friend by the hand and leading her out the door. Claire took her to one of those new age organic food restaurants she found on her GPS. Ness ate most of her food which made Claire very happy. Claire tried to cheer her up by telling her of all her exploits dealing with construction workers. Ness chuckled a few times, but Claire suspected it was out of politeness. She took Ness home and made her go straight to bed.

After Ness was in bed, Claire quickly found one of those 24 hour supermarkets. Claire got Ness food for the entire week as well as some vitamins, healthy shakes and bars for her to take to work during the day. Claire spent the week preparing meals for Ness. She made her a breakfast shake because she figures a smoothie would be easier for Nessie's stomach than bacon and eggs. She prepared Nessie's lunch and several snacks for the day before Ness was out the door. When Ness got home she had she had dinner on the table or she would take dinner to work if Ness was running late.

"You're like the perfect wife. You know that?" Ness told her jokingly. It was the first time Claire heard her use a joke since the break up and she almost cried when she heard it. She was so relieved her best friend was doing better. Nessie's nausea hadn't gone away but she was definitely feeling better. She looked like she had gained a little weight and she had some color back on her cheeks; however, the dark spots under her eyes had not gone away. On several occasions, Claire heard Ness sob in the middle of the night as if she had been awakened from a nightmare.

"I guess you'll just have to marry me miss Cullen and we'll live happily ever after with me fattening you up like a pig while I stay gorgeous forever."

"Funny." She told her friend. Claire always had a way of making her feel better. She was crass but she was funny and caring. Both women were having dinner when they heard a knock on the door.

"You expecting someone?" Claire asked Ness.

"No." Ness was going to get up but Claire stopped her.

"No, no, no! You eat and_ I'll_ get the door." Claire commanded and she went to get the door. Claire nearly growled when she saw who it was.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Claire?" Jake saw the angry girl he had only met once since he dated Ness. She was almost scary.

"Yes Claire! Who the hell else would be here taking care of her after you ripped her heart?"

"Is she here?" Quill asked behind Jake.

"Yes she's here. Who the hell are you?" She asked Quill with annoyance. He looked at the brown haired vixen and smiled to himself when he saw the petite little fury. He wasn't afraid. He thought she was beautiful when she was angry.

"This is my cousin Quill. Please, Claire. I need to talk to her."

"Why should I let you talk to her? You've done enough damage." She was about to close the door on his face so he moved in closer to hold it open but he didn't step through. He knew Claire couldn't really hurt him but her angry eyes made him a little afraid.

"Please Claire. I made a huge mistake. I'm trying to make things right again."

"Let him in Claire." Ness said from the kitchen. Claire looked at her worriedly and Ness suddenly felt nauseous again. Ness took her plate to the kitchen because she completely lost her appetite. Claire glared at Jake angrily again but she finally said "Fine!" and stepped to the side to let both men in. The kitchen was open to the rest of the apartment so Jake spotted her immediately. When Jake looked at Ness, he was shocked by her condition. She looked so frail to him. Her eyes looked tiered and her overall condition looked poor.

"You should've seen her when I got here." Claire said when she saw the shocked expression on his face.

"Stop that!" Ness scolded her. She was embarrassed by how badly she neglected herself and didn't want Jake to know how bad it was before Claire came. "What do you want Jacob?"

"You." Jake walked over to the kitchen area. Ness was on the other side of the island counter and they were both facing each other. He could see the hurt in her eyes so clearly that it made his chest hurt.

"Ness… I made a huge mistake. Everything I said before was a lie. I didn't want to break up with you. I just wanted you to come here and live out your dream and I knew you would never do it if you had another option so I… so I took it from you. I broke up with you so that you had no other choice but leave Washington. Everything I told you that day was a lie I came up with to get you to leave. I was going to wait until you were here and come beg for your forgiveness so that we could live out here and so that you could live out your dream but after I saw how badly I hurt you I was too ashamed to come for you."

"You did what?! Oh my God!" Claire said in shock. Claire was standing by Ness and when he saw their mutual horrified expressions, he dropped his head in shame.

"I know I'm…"

"You manipulative bastard!" Ness cut him off. "How dare you?! It was my choice. I wanted to be with you! I wanted to have a life with you!" Jake looked up quickly at her. She looked furious.

"I know but when Dr. Volturi mentioned how talented you were and how you would save lives no one else would, I…" He stopped when Ness turned around and vomited into the kitchen sink.

"Nessie!" Claire said and quickly went over to her friend and Jake quickly fooled after her. Ness grabbed her stomach creating a barrier between her belly and the counter. Her loose shirt now hung tightly against her body because of her hand and her position against the sink. Claire and Jake were both so surprised by how suddenly she had vomited that they rushed to her and couldn't see what Quill was now observing.

"Oh shit! Is she pregnant?!" Quill asked.

"Of course she's not! She's just stressed. Don't you think I would've known that?"

"I don't know. Are you a doctor?" Quill asked her.

"No, but I'm her best friend." She told him indignant as she brought Ness over to a chair. Jake didn't stop staring at Ness. He noticed how she held to her stomach and finally saw what his cousin had observed. Jake went over to her, ignoring, Claire's angry glares and kneeled before the woman he loved. She looked at him angrily, tears still streaming down her cheeks. He lifted her top to expose her belly and he heard Claire gasp behind him.

"Nessie?!" Claire exclaimed in surprise. Ness looked at her friend guiltily.

"I just realized it today. Well... Marcus realized it when he caught be puking in a garbage bin. I was going to tell you tonight." She turned back to Jake, who had tears in his eyes. He placed his hand over her stomach.

"I don't care how long it takes, I'm going to make this right. I love you and we're going to be a family." He told her. Ness took in a deep breath and placed her hand over Jake's. They both shared a long intimate look that made both Quill and Claire feel uncomfortable. Claire signaled Quill for them to leave. He nodded and escorted Claire out the door. Jake and Ness were startled when they heard the door close.

"Ness I'm…" She put one finger over his lips and shook her head. She got up and walked to her bedroom then closed the door behind her. He didn't know what to do. He heard the faucet turn and figured she was cleaning up. He sat on her couch and waited.

Ness was too overwhelmed to be near him. Between finding out she was pregnant and having Jake show up unannounced proclaiming he still loved her, she felt like she was having an out of body experience. Seeing him there, feeling his hand over her belly was like a dream come true. It just didn't seem real to her. Ness didn't know what to think. She wanted to forgive and forget the moment she looked into his sorrowful eyes but she was too angry and scared. It scared her that he could even devise such a plan and that he could lie to her so easily.

She got into the shower and washed herself from head to toes. What was she supposed to do? How could she forgive him after this type of betrayal? She thought over and over. She hated that it felt so right to feel his hand on her belly, feeling their child. She closed her eyes and felt her own hand over the spot that Jake touched. This wasn't about either of them anymore. This was about their baby. They were going to be parents so she had to find a way to forgive him. Somehow...

Claire wasn't happy about leaving her best friend alone with _him_ but she knew it was for the best. They were having a baby so they needed to figure this out somehow. Claire and Quill walked down the steps and out to the street.

"You wanna get something to eat. I'm starving." Quill asked hopeful.

"Sure. I guess I didn't really finish my dinner." They walked over to a nearby deli. Claire ordered a light turkey sandwich and Quill order a large Philly cheesesteak with everything and a side of fries. The grease that came out of it made Claire's head spin.

"Do you always eat like this? You're one fry away from a stroke."

"Are you always this much of a nag? Your one badger away from a spanking." Quill wiggled his eyebrows and Claire laughed. He was relieved she didn't take it the wrong way. 'Feisty and a good sense of humor, just how I like 'em,' he thought cheerfully. They kept eating but Claire wasn't one to eat in silence.

"Do you think its going ok over there?"

"I hope so. Jake and Ness deserve to be happy. I've never seen Jake as happy as he was when they were together." Claire nodded. It was the same for her Nessie. She was angry with Jake but she knew he was what her best friend needed.

"Nessie was happy too. As mad as I am, I really hope they work it out. I hate seeing her like this. It breaks my heart." She said sadly. Quill was impressed with how Claire spoke about Ness. He could tell that she really loved her friend. He was liking her more and more by the minute.

"I guess we just have to wait until they call to see what happens. Do you want to watch a movie or something while we wait?" He asked her.

"Sure. Let's go after we finish here." They finished their meal quickly and drove to the nearest theater. After the movie, they went to the park where they spent the rest of the night talking, laughing, and looking at the stars. They never received a phone call from their two best friends but they were too busy themselves to notice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Enjoy the last chapter! Since its the last chapter I thought it would be fun to paraphrase some of my favorite quotes from the twilight saga. I hope you enjoy the little twist I gave them. Please write a review to let me know how you liked the story now that its all posted. As always, Twilight Saga and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Jake heard her come out of the bathroom but her bedroom door remained closed. It took everything he had not to knock it down and go after her. After a few minutes, she finally came out. He remained silent, watching her. He didn't know what to say. Ness looked like she had cried the entire time she was in the shower. She sat on the loveseat by the couch before she started.

"I don't know what to say Jake. I just can't believe you would so something so deceitful. Do you understand that you purposely hurt me? You hurt me!" Her voice broke and it ripped his heart to hear her pain.

"I know. I just wanted you to have this opportunity. John Hopkins was the natural path your life would have taken, if… if the world was the way it was supposed to be, if I wasn't in the picture. I needed you to understand all your options. I thought I could give you the opportunity to see what you could do and then I could come back and see how I fit into your new life. I didn't want you to loose..." She interrupted him.

"I did know my options and y_ou're_ the only thing it would hurt me to lose. You are my life! I thought you understood that!" She snapped at him.

"I'm sorry. I heard your doubts and I thought you were just scared. I thought you were scared of this life and what it would do to us. I wanted you to see there was nothing to be afraid of. I was going to come back and you would have seen that it was no big deal. This life would have been effortless for us — comfortable, easy as breathing. Just like it was before." He told her honestly. She looked at him in disbelief.

"And you thought the best way to show me that was to lie to me and to hurt me? You actually believed that I would come here and see this life as something more than moonless night? I've been empty! It was like my heart was gone — like I was hollow. I was gone, Jacob! It was like I'd left everything that was inside me there in that forest with you." She hated that her words were so true. She could never go back to a life where he didn't exist and it scared her. He was everything to her and her life was a hopeless nightmare without him. Jake's tears escaped when he heard the pain she went through.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking but when Dr. Volturi talked to me and suggested that I let you go, it just seemed like it was the only way to get you here. I really thought I was doing the right thing by you. I didn't want you to look back and regret your decision. I wanted you to be happy and I should have trusted you enough to make that choice for yourself. I should have known better than to listen to someone like him."

"So, this was Aro's idea?" Her heart was relieved to hear this. This plan just didn't seem like something Jake could have come up with for himself. She was glad she knew him well enough to know he didn't have those types of deceitful thoughts.

"Yes but I'm the one who's at fault. I'm the idiot who actually thought hurting the woman I loved was the right thing to do. I should have never lied to you like that. I've always known I don't deserve you. I know that _now_ more than ever but I'm still selfish enough to want you to take me back." Ness didn't say anything so he continued.

"I've been miserable without you. I've been drinking, missing work. I've never been so unhappy in my life. I was thinking of you constantly, seeing your face in my mind, every second of every day. I need you, baby, please… please forgive me. I'm completely lost without you." He begged her. He wanted to go over to her but he was too afraid to approach her. He stayed glued to the sofa and waited for her response.

"I don't know if I can be with someone who can lie to me and manipulate me." Ness told him. She was still felt betrayed, even if she knew in her heart that he did it out of love for her. Jake looked down at the floor and nodded in defeat. Ness looked at the slumped shoulders and silent tears of the man she loved and it made her chest hurt to see him like that. As angry and disappointed as she was, she ached to be near him, to comfort him.

He was wrong to manipulate her but he had done it out of love. She was angry, she was hurt, but that didn't change the fact that he was her whole heart. She could not ignore the fact that she loved this man or that they were having a baby together. This baby was the most important thing, now; the most important thing ever. She had to push her anger and fears aside. She had to do this for their child and for herself, because when it was all said and done, he had just made a mistake.

Falling in love with Jake had been like jumping off one of the cliff sides at LaPush beach. It was fast, hard, thrilling, and completely life changing. When he broke up with her it had been as if she was drowning, like she had fallen so deep into the water that she didn't know up from down or left from right. She looked at his distraught face and she realized he was drowning too. He came here to rescue her and she was letting them both sink. She couldn't let him kill himself in this abyss.

New tears formed in her eyes as she walked over to him to kneel in front of him. He leaned back to look at her and she hugged him around the waist. He quickly surrounded her with his protective arms. Her heart beat with excitement and she felt the whole world shift back into place.

"We're going to be parents Jake." She started again. "So I'm going to forgive you and you are going to swear to me that you will never do this to me again." A small breathless sob escaped his lips before he kissed her head several times. She looked up into his eyes and he felt a wash of relief as he saw that they were no longer empty. He became lost looking into those eyes he loved so much. Like he was staring into the sun. Now that he had her in his arms he realized the power of her hold. It was permanent and unbreakable. It was as if every other connection that tethered him to this earth was gone. Like gravity itself was gone and it wasn't the earth holding him there anymore. It was her. This whole time, it was _her_ and nothing mattered to him more than her and their baby.

"I swear it." He kissed her forehead softly. "I love you and I swear that you will not regret this decision." He told her. She was awestruck by the ferocity of his voice when he said this.

"I love you too. I will never regret being with you. And I've never regretted doing the right thing." She told him. He saw her eyes were full of love and forgiveness causing his heart to swell with happiness.

"You're right. Every time you do the right thing, I am more and more grateful that you exist and that you are in my life. You're an angel, you know that? God sent you to me and like all sinners I didn't know what to do with something so precious and so special, but now I do."

"And what is that?" She asked him with a loving smile.

"I am going to love you, and cherish you, and put you and our baby before anything else. I am going to listen to my heart and talk to when I have doubts or concerns. I will make decisions with you and everything we do from now on, we'll do together. You are mine and I am yours. Always." Ness cried even more when he kissed her after that speech.

"Jake?" She said as soon as their lips parted.

"Yes." He said smiling as he cradled her face.

"We are having a baby and I want us to be a family. A real family..." Her eyes looked frightened and insecure which made him worry. "I want to be your wife." Jake realized why she hesitated and he shook his head. How could she still doubt him?

"Baby, I told you that I didn't want to marry you it was the biggest most blasphemous lie I've ever told. I looked into your eyes and I saw that you believed it. I never was a good actor. I still don't know how you believed it or how you let one word break your faith in me. You honestly believed that I didn't want you anymore — as if there were any way that I could exist without needing you in my life? Listen to me very carefully this time, you beautiful stubborn woman, because I need you to _never _doubt this again." He pulled her face closer to his so that he could look straight into her eyes. The strength and conviction in his eyes left her speechless. "Renesmee… I. Love. You. I want to be your husband, more than anything in the world." Jake let go of her and reached into his pocket. Ness gasped when she saw a ring box.

"I was playing with this when you father came to yell at me, yesterday. I've had it with me ever since we broke up. This is what I should have done that day. In my heart, this is what I wanted to do that day." He got up and pulled her up with him, then, there in her living room, he got on one knee and opened the ring box. Ness gasped when she saw it. She recognized it from one of the picture's in Jake's apartment. It was his mother's ring.

"Oh Jake..."

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, I love you more than anything in this world, would you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?" Ness smiled and nodded, unable to speak from the emotions she was feeling. He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed it once it was on her hand. She stroked his face and he stood again. Jake embraced her, needing to be near her.

"I love you. So much..." She told him knowing that no, matter happened between them, this was one thing that would never change.

"I love you too." He told her before he kissed her. All the months of separation ignited in a passion that succumbed them both. Without breaking their passionate kiss, Jake picked Ness up into his arms and walked them to the bedroom where we he made passionate love to his future wife.

The following morning, Jake woke up when he heard the front door open and close. He had finally slept through the night now that Ness was in his arms. He carefully slid off the bed so that he wouldn't disturb her. When he walked outside, he saw Claire and Quill in the kitchen. Claire was making coffee.

"Well, I guess they made up after all. Long night, bro?" Quill teased. Jake punched him playfully and eyed the bags of food on the kitchen counter.

"Did you two just get in?" Jake asked when he realized they were wearing the same clothes from the previous night.

"Yeah. We lost track of time waiting for you two and we stayed up all night talking in the park." Quill told him. Claire continued setting up the table without saying a word. His one experience with Claire was enough to let him know that Claire wasn't the silent type. She was still angry at him. After Ness described to him the condition she was in before Claire got to her, he understood why Claire was so mad.

"Claire?"

"What?" She said not looking at him.

"Thank you, Claire. Thank you for taking care of my girl. Last night, Ness told me everything you did for her and you probably saved our baby's life." He told her. Claire finally stopped what he was doing at looked at him. As much as she wanted to be angry at him, she knew he was the key to her friend's happiness. All she wanted was for Nessie to be happy.

"That girl in there is basically my sister. I will always look out for her. Just make sure you do things right this time and make her happy because if I ever see her like that again, I am chopping your dick off. Got it?"

"She means it too." Quill warned.

"I got it. From this point on, my life's mission is to make her happy and keep her safe."

"Good. Now have a seat while I finish setting breakfast." She told him and he sat on the counter stool next to Quill. Claire set a mug full of hot coffee in front of Jake.

"It smells as amazing as it looks. You did all of this by yourself?" Jake asked.

"Of course. When you're best friends with a Cullen you learn a thing or two about cooking and setting up a nice spread. Plus there is an amazing organic bakery close by. They have the best bagels I've ever tasted." At that moment. Ness came out of her room rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning beautiful." Jake told her and opened his arm to coax her towards him. She walked over and leaned against his warm body. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. He tried to get up so that she could sit but she stopped him.

"I think I smell my favorite bagels." She said.

"You sure do. You can all have a seat at the table. I'm just going to make some breakfast smoothies and I'm done." Claire had set up a buffet at the dining table. She proceeded to setting up the bagels on a platter as they sat down.

"Marcus gave me the day off and set up an appointment for me with Chelsea's gynecologist. Does anyone want to go with us?" Ness asked them as they all sat.

"Can I?" Claire asked excitedly. Ness laughed. 'She's laughing!' Claire thought as she finally heard a real laugh leave her friend's lips.

"Of course! How can I go see the doctor without my wife?" Both women giggled while the men shrugged at each other. "You want to come too Quill?" Ness asked him.

"I wouldn't miss it." He told her with a smile. They all finished eating and got ready to meet the new addition to the family.

Jake had never been so excited to hear a thump in his entire life. He held onto Ness's hand as if he was holding on to dear life. Ness had tears in her eyes and he gently wiped them away with his free hand, before he took her face and kissed her lips. Everything else disappeared at that moment, Claire crying and holding Quill's hand, Quill's overjoyed smile, the doctor's explanations of their baby's healthy condition. Everything disappeared except each other and that gentle 'thump, thump' in the background.

Ness gave her two weeks' notice the following day. Aro and Caius were extremely displeased but Marcus stepped in to appease his two friends. Marcus even offered to help Ness get a practicum closer to home, once the baby was born. Jake stayed with Ness for a few weeks until she got everything finalized with the hospital. He took over Claire's position as 'house wife' during Ness's last weeks in Maryland. Claire left explicit instructions for him as to how she wanted her Nessie to be cared for during her absence. Jake was used to giving commands, not taking them, but felt so grateful towards Claire that he only smiled and nodded as she gave her instructions. He sent Claire home with Quill, who was more than happy to escort her back to Washington.

Ness's few months in the brain surgery program made her realize that sleepless nights and self-neglect was not the life for her. With Marcus's and her family's help, she consulted some of the local hospitals and worked things out in Seattle so that she could do her specialization in emergency medicine and internal medicine after the baby was born. She liked the idea of taking over her grandfather and working with her dad at the practice. She was also happy that she could continue offering her services to the people at the reservation. With the tribe council's blessing, Jake and Ness found a piece of land at LaPush were they decided to build their permanent home to live in when Ness finished her specialization. With grandma Esme's help, Ness was hoping to have it finished by the time she was done. Esme used to be an interior designer so the house turned out beautifully.

It turned out that emergency medicine was exactly what she wanted all along. Her surgeries were more exciting because she was learning to heal the entire body not just one area. Jake and Ness lived together in Jake's apartment but, after the baby was born, they moved to her condo in Seattle while Ness worked on her specialization. Jake and Ness welcomed home their first son about 7 months after, they returned to Washington. They named him Edward Jacob Black, after her father and after Jake. EJ, as they liked to call him, was the light of their lives. He was beloved by everyone in the family and the tribe. Edward and Bella were completely in love with their grandson. He couldn't be more proud of his daughter.

A few short weeks after EJ was born, Jake and Ness had their wedding ceremony. Her grandmother Esme and her aunt Alice had plenty of experience planning parties, shows and events for her husband and sister-in-law's modeling company, so, both women joined forces to create the best wedding the town of Forks had ever seen. Alice had only had one son, Peter, and Rosalie had her adopted son Benjamin and her youngest son Riley, making Renesmee the only girl among the kids. For this reason, her aunt and grandmother outdid themselves to create the most amazing wedding the town had ever seen.

Jacob was impressed as he stood at the end of the aisle next to his father, who was performing the ceremony, and his best friends. He was nervous but when he saw his little niece walking his beautiful son down the aisle in his carriage, all his nerves ebbed away. He had nothing to be nervous about, he was marrying the mother of his child and the woman of his dreams. Ness was a vision in her white dress. It was hard to contain the emotion in his chest when he saw her as her father walked her down the aisle

"Take care of each other." Edward told them. He lifted his daughter's veil and kissed her cheek. With shaky hands he placed his daughter's hand in the hand of his new son before he sat next to his wife. Edward and Bella both held on to each other tightly. Their little girl had grown up entire too fast for them but they couldn't have been more proud.

"You're beautiful." Jake told his future wife. He heard his father start the ceremony but his mind was somewhere else. He kissed Ness's hands one at a time. She smiled at him completely captivated by the love in her future husband's eyes. Neither one of them was really paying attention to what was happening around them. Billy cleared his throat a bit to get their attention when it was time to exchange their vows. They chose traditional vows, the same that their parents had exchanged before them, and their grandparents before that. Billy was glad they chose traditional vows. As he heard his son and his soon to be daughter speak the words that he and his wife Sarah had exchanged, he let out a tear. His Sarah would have loved Ness. Ness was the best thing that ever happened to his son and she had given them a beautiful new grandson. After he pronounced them husband and the two lovers kissed, Billy finally hugged his new daughter.

"Welcome to the family, sweetheart. Thank you for loving my son." He told her. Ness looked at her new father and gave him another hug. "Thanks, dad." She told him happily.

The ceremony was at the beach but the reception was at Carlisle's huge house. Esme and Alice had transformed it into paradise. Everyone they knew was at the reception. Aro, Caius and Marcus were all invited but only Marcus and his family attended. Both Ness and Jake were grateful for that. All of Jake's friends were present including Seth who he still kept in touch with even after the Leah fiasco.

Ness's entire family was part of the wedding party except for Tanya. Tanya's father, Eleazar, and her stepmother, Carmen, asked her to stay home, which Ness was grateful for. Their other two daughters Irina and Kate were present and very supportive of Ness. Irina even caught the bouquet and one of her mother's friend, Laurent, caught the garter. Ness wanted Claire and Quill to catch them but when she saw her insecure cousin flirting with Laurent, she decided she didn't mind. Even though Laurent was about a decade older than Irina, Ness was happy for her.

Everyone talked about what a beautiful wedding it was. Claire was so impressed that she asked Ness's grandmother to plan her wedding to Quill which they intended to have 6 months later. Ness was happy that her best friend had found someone as amazing as Quill. Quill was kind but he never took any crap from his feisty Claire. He found her nagging endearing at they both laughed at each other's idiosyncrasies with loving humor.

About a year after Claire's wedding, both women found out they were pregnant. Quill and Jake spent nine month as their personal slaves and they were rewarded with beautiful little daughters, Clarice Atera and Sarah Isabel Black. The girls were inseparable just as their mothers.

Jake and Ness lived their lived one day at a time. They worked together as a team to raise their children and any other challenge they faced. Ness inevitably built up a reputation as the best surgeon in the state but, with the support of her husband, she was able to manage all of her responsibilities and still have time for her family. Jake kept all the promises he made to Ness. Ness looked back at how it all started with one act, the choice to choose righteousness over selfishness. The choice do what was right, regardless of the consequences. Her bravery was rewarded in a love and happiness that was beyond her wildest dreams. She never once regretted doing the right thing.

**The End**

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**Author's Note: Thank you for reading my all human version of Jake and Nessie. This was my first FanFic. I was so excited about it that I wrote it quickly and updated it quickly so I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. However, don't get used to everyday updates for my other stories ;-). My non-human Jake and Ness saga is now posted. This saga is my idea of what happens post BD and it has 3 parts. There will be many new characters and story lines mixed in with the old characters I love. I hope you all like it!**


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